Bonds of Slavery
by Child of the Ancients
Summary: Kagome has been a slave for 9 years and has given up all hope. Then, one day, a handsome inu youkai buys her with the intention of setting her free despite all the problems.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Okay, I've started rewriting this fic... changing a few details and such, so people can stop complaining that I stole ideas from someone else. It becomes annoying after a while. The basic story plot has been left the same, which is definitely a good thing. I liked the plot. Well, onto the story.

  


The noise. Oh, how he hated the noise. The many people shouting and running about mixed with the music coming from all the stores gave him a large headache. His sensitive dog ears just couldn't take the racket. Even though he had his ears laying as flat against his head as possible, he could barely stand all the din and clamor that swirled about him.

  


The smells were even worse. Perfume, cigarette smoke, and cologne mercilessly laid siege to his nose, making it twitch almost constantly. All that, combined with the scents of food, demons, and dirty, sweaty humans, annoyed him to the fullest. Every few seconds he tried to get rid of the smells by exhaling sharply through his nostrils. It worked, but only for a brief moment.

  


He was at the largest mall in the city, retrieving his VCR from his electrician and good friend Miroku. At least, he was trying to do that. The place was so congested with people, demons and humans alike, that there was barely enough room to breath, let alone walk. He was having the worst trouble getting down the hall that lead to the electronic shop.

  


He pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, making sure to harm no one with his sharp claws. Every so often, someone would yell at him, but the person would always leave him alone once he or she got a look at his fangs, golden eyes, silver hair, and well-clothed body.

  


Usually, one look was all it took for someone to recognize who he was. He was Inuyasha, owner of the Youkai Armory and the second richest man in the country. Most people never, ever tried to cross him. He was easily angered, which was an understatement at times.

  


Inuyasha was especially easy to anger at the moment because of his headache. All he wanted to do was get his VCR, pay Miroku for the repairs, then get back home and relax. It wasn't like he wanted anything important.

  


Unfortunately, he found a huge gathering of people right outside Miroku's shop, blocking the entrance. The totally male crowd contained men of all ages, ranging from teenagers to old geezers. They were all staring at the store next to Miroku's: the Slave Store, which was currently under new ownership.

  


Slavery was allowed all over the world, sometimes even encouraged in some places, but only orphaned humans were made into slaves. He himself found the practice distasteful, but many people didn't share his opinion. The majority of the population found the slaves to be useful housekeepers, nannies, gardeners, cooks, and even bedmates.

  


After considering the crowd and how many of them were drooling, Inuyasha guessed that there was a particularly pretty, female slave up for sale at the moment. It made sense to him, but he really could have cared less. At that moment, he had only one objective: get to Miroku's store.

  


Shoving his way roughly through the crowd, he made his way towards Miroku's repair shop, passing near the stage on his way there. What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks. The new owner was an old enemy.

  


The owner was Naraku, a hanyou and a shrewd businessman. Long, wavy dark hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, and cold, dark eyes surveyed the crowd. The tall, evil man who had terrorized his family for years was standing by a female who Inuyasha didn't even look at. He was just too busy glaring at the dark-haired hanyou to even spare her a glance.

  


"My fellow men, this is no ordinary girl," Naraku insisted as persuasively as he could. "Not only is she beautiful, obedient, and able to cook and clean, but she's a miko. Don't worry, powerful youkai, she will not and can not harm anyone. Instead, she has been taught a few useful tricks that come in very handy late at night when one is having trouble sleeping." The lecherous smile on the man's face gave everyone a good clue about what he meant. "She incapable of betrayal, due to the spell that links her to her master. As long as the spell is in effect, she won't even be able to imagine disobeying her master. She, literally, lives to serve, which is very nice; don't you agree?"

  


Many of the men chuckled along with Naraku. Of course, the ones who did were nothing more than dirt in Inuyasha's eyes. He had been known to be a jerk at times, but he found nothing funny about degrading women. He would never stoop so low as to do something that disgraceful.

  


"Now, how about we open the biding at two-thousand dollars?" Naraku suggested, regally gesturing towards the girl.

  


It was then that Inuyasha finally looked at the other person on the stage. The female was indeed beautiful, despite the fact she was too thin. Flawless ivory skin and blue-gray eyes were accented by long, black hair that fell a little ways past her shoulders. She was wearing a red, female genie outfit that wasn't incredibly well made, although it did show off her perfect skin. Her form would had been voluptuous had she not been so starved, but Inuyasha felt that once she was well-fed, she would regain her lost curves. Overall, she was beautiful; and her face, her very smell, reminded him of someone.

  


"Kikyou," Inuyasha whispered breathlessly, images of his dead wife flashing through his mind. Yes, the slave girl did look like his wife who had been dead for 50 years. The resemblance was uncanny, even he had to admit that.

  


Instead of that bothering him, it merely emboldened him. He had to have the slave girl, no matter what the costs. She would be expensive, considering how the bid had gotten up to three-thousand dollars while he had stared, but he was going to have her. Thankfully, he could easily afford her.

  


"Four-thousand," Inuyasha called out, determined that no one would out-bid him.

  


"Four-thousand fifty," shouted another voice. It was Kouga, a super-fast wolf demon. He owned a store that also dealt in swords, so he was constantly at odds with Inuyasha. They were rivals to the core, but they did have a certain, very small degree of respect for each other.

  


"Four-thousand five-hundred." Inuyasha glared over at Kouga, trying to tell him to back off. The message was ignored.

  


"Four-thousand, six-hundred." Kouga was not about to be beaten by the hanyou Inuyasha. He wanted the woman on the stage, and no dogturd was going to stop him. Crossing his arms across his chest, he shot a superior look over at his rival, telling the other without words that he willing to back down.

  


"Five-thousand," Inuyasha called out, smiling smugly when Kouga didn't try to outbid him again. The wolf youkai had obviously run out of funds.

  


"Ten-thousand," someone from the back said in a calm, collected voice. The sound quieted many of the people in the audience, much to the hanyou's surprise.

  


"Kuso," snapped Inuyasha, suddenly recognizing the speaker. There was no way he would be able to outbid the newcomer. He just didn't have enough money, nor would he probably ever. The last man to bid was the richest man in the country... and the biggest annoyance in Inuyasha's life.

  


"Well, well, well," Naraku said, sounding pleased. "Ten-thousand dollars. Would anyone like to bid ten-thousand fifty?" Silence followed. Not even Inuyasha spoke, for he had given up. "Going once... going twice... sold to the man in the back! Come on up here, sir, and we'll conclude our business so you can take the slave home with you."

  


The crowd slowly began to disperse as the buyer made his way up to the stage, movements graceful and deliberate. Many of the men glared at the buyer, unhappy about losing. They had wanted to take the girl home as well.

  


Inuyasha was angrier than all of them put together. He had just been beaten -again!- by that annoying male. He had wanted the girl more than anything, and she had been snatched from right under his nose.

  


Scowling and muttering curses under his breath, Inuyasha stormed into Miroku's store. He only hoped that he could get his anger under control before he broke something. Of course, Miroku was probably one of the few people who could cheer him up at the moment.

  


He stomped right up to the front desk, glaring at everyone who dared to get near him. Miroku, as always, was unaffected. It took a lot to affect him.

  


"Bad day, huh?" Miroku asked, pulling out his friend's VCR from behind the counter. "Would you like to talk about it? I'm sure that I can help you find a way to change the lady's answer from a 'no' to a 'yes'." He had a friendly smile on his face, his dark blue eyes sparkling with mischeviousness. Black hair pulled into a small pony tail at the nape of his neck accented a handsome face.

  


Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Besides being an amazing electrician, Miroku was a lecher who was never able to keep a girlfriend for very long. "Unlike you, dirty monk, my problems don't revolve around girls turning me down."

  


"Oooh, bringing up my family now are you?" Miroku asked, feigning annoyance, very much used to the hanyou's bad temper. He came from a long line of monks. Almost all his male ancestors had been holy men... as well as lechers. Miroku had been a monk for a while, but he had given it up to become an electrician. "And that hit concerning my problems was rather low."

  


"Yeah, well, you asked for it," Inuyasha grumbled. Truthfully, he wasn't angry at his friend, but since the guy was there, he had decided to use him to help relieve his anger. He had a habit of using anyone around him as an outlet for his temper.

  


"Humph." He paused, giving his friend a curious look. "So what is your problem?" he asked again, voice softer than the last time. He knew that it was better to use a calm tone with Inuyasha when the hanyou was angry.

  


Inuyasha sighed. "That jerk beat me out of something I wanted again."

  


"Ah..." Miroku nodded understandingly, compassion on his face. He knew exactly who Inuyasha was talking about. His hanyou friend only called one person 'the jerk'. "So what was it this time."

  


"A girl... a slave," he answered. "She looked like Kikyou." He got a depressed, faraway look in his eyes. He still missed his wife so much that it hurt at times.

  


The one-time monk shook his head sadly. His poor friend was still mourning over Kikyou. "Maybe he did you a favor then, by buying her," he told Inuyasha. "She wasn't Kikyou, Inuyasha, and it would be wrong for you to try and change the girl into Kikyou... even though I know that you wouldn't intentionally do that. The girl may be a slave, but she's still human. She has her own identity... her own personality."

  


"I don't care, dammit!" he snapped back, golden eyes briefly flashing in annoyance. "She looked so much like Kikyou..."

  


It was Miroku's turn to sigh. "You need to give up Kikyou some time, Inuyasha. You need to heal. It's been fifty years. Let her go," he advised his friend. "It won't be easy but..." He shrugged. "What is?"

  


Inuyasha snarled, not liking the advice at all. "Just tell me how much I owe you so I can get out of here." He was tired of the lecture, his mind not ready to let go of his first and only love. "I hate the mall, and you know it," he added for a good measure.

  


"Very well." Miroku rung him up, accepted the check, then handed him his VCR in a box full of Styrofoam. "Take care now, Inuyasha!" he shouted at his friend's retreating back.

  


Inuyasha didn't turn around, although he did wave over his shoulder. With his friend's words still running through his head, the inu hanyou left the mall, not even glancing at the slave store as he did so. 


	2. Chapter 2

Sesshoumaru gave a small, silent sigh as he handed the check to Naraku. Never had he paid so much for something that he didn't even really want. He had only bought the girl to spite his pathetic half-brother. Sometimes, the things he did to annoy his younger sibling amazed even himself.

  


"Now, here is all her paperwork," Naraku said happily, pocketing the check. He hadn't been expecting the girl to sell for so much. Only new, unused slaves usually went for over seven-thousand, and the girl had gone for ten-thousand. "This paper here lists what you need to know about her: things she's allergic to, past training... important matters like that." He pulled out a stack of papers. "These are the things that you need to sign to fully own her." He took one last, small piece of old, crinkled paper out of his pocket. "This piece of paper holds the words I need to say to transfer her ownership to you."

  


The dog demon didn't like the hanyou's tone, and he certainly didn't like the idea of the spell. He was planning on setting the girl free as soon as Inuyasha got over his little obsession with her, and that included removing the spell.

  


Grinning from ear to ear, Naraku whispered a few words in the girl's ear, most of which were strange and foreign. The only word Sesshoumaru recognized was his own name. The other words, he guessed, were in an ancient demon language. How the dark hanyou had learned the language was beyond him, but then again, he didn't particulary care.

  


The girl instantly fell to her knees in pain. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as youkai magic rippled over her body in giant waves. She felt like she was being cut up on the inside with thousands upon thousands of sharp knives as the spell rearranged itself. With a great effort, she looked up at the two men. _'Damn you, Naraku,'_ she thought darkly, forcing herself to stand back up, making sure her anger did not show in the slightest.

  


She was pleased that she no longer wanted to obey Naraku and thrilled that she had a different master (anyone was better than Naraku), but she hated the process of changing masters. It always hurt, and that had been the second time the dark-haired hanyou had put her through that pain.

  


The other male, though, she found looking down at her with something like pity in his golden eyes. His skin was about as pale as hers, and he had the face markings of a youkai lord: two red strips on each cheek and a midnight blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. Silvery-white hair fell to almost his knees, and he had claws instead of fingernails, elven-like ears instead of round, human-like ears. A sword hung at his side. Dressed in an old-fashioned kimono-style shirt and nice black pants, he was a mixture of the past and present. He was over six feet tall and elegant with his long, white, fluffy tail draped over one shoulder.

  


"She's now yours, and don't worry about permanently hurting her. She's a miko, after all, and she has been taught how to heal herself," Naraku assured the inu youkai beside him. "And another thing... she isn't able to remove the spell, as it is immune to her miko magic." He chuckled, an evil sound that sounded hollow."I'm sure that eased your mind a bit."

  


"You have no idea," Sesshoumaru muttered sarcastically as he signed the last form. It hadn't eased his mind. In fact, it had done the exact opposite. How was he suppose to free the girl if he couldn't undo the stupid spell? Oh well. He would just have to leave it up to Shippou. The little fox demon was incredibly good at finding elusive bits of information.

  


"Well, now that you've signed everything, you're free to take the girl. Whenever you're tired of her, come to me, and I'll give you the paperwork you'll need to sell her," Naraku said, smirking.

  


"Thank you. Now, I must be going," the dog demon said coldly, his face one of cool indiference. He turned to the slave girl, his tone nicer than the one he had used with Naraku. "Follow me."

  


"Yes, milord," she replied sweetly, happily doing exactly as she was told. She walked briskly to keep up with her new master, but at the same time she moved as if she was world-weary. Her blue-gray eyes were dull, almost lifeless, and her face was expressionless, as if nothing could effect her at all.

  


_'I must do something about her attitude before I set her free,' _Sesshoumaru thought to himself unhappily. He was not looking forward to dealing with the slave. Though, he would put up with her just to annoy his brother. The only reason he wanted to set her free was to rob the slave trade of one more slave. _'This is my good deed for the decade. I help the girl regain herself and then I free her. No problem. That should take no more than a month of my precious time.'_

  


Sesshoumaru could sense the girl following him as well as smell her. Her scent was pleasant, but it was very different from what Kikyou's scent had been. There was a slight resemblance... nothing more. Only Inuyasha, with his grief-ridden mind, would probably even consider that the two girls smelled the same.

  


He led the girl to his car, a silver dodge viper, and gestured for her to get in. As before, she obeyed after saying, "Yes, milord."

  


While he drove, he decided to get some information from the girl that hadn't been on the papers. Naraku had not included the girl's name, birthday, origin, or age. All of that was necessary information; at least, to the dog demon it was.

  


"What should I call you?" he asked the girl next to him, not taking his eyes off of the road. He wasn't about to call her 'slave' or 'girl'.

  


"Whatever you wish, milord," she replied softly in her beautiful voice. It was the kind of voice that would sooth tempers in even the most tense of situations or arouse a man in the right situation.

  


He sighed at her response. "What have your other masters called you?" He had decided to try a different question, hoping to get an actual answer.

  


"Trista, Aphrodite, Nadine, Isis, Rowena, Athena, Gaea-"

  


Sesshoumaru cut her off, quickly realizing that he was getting no where with her. Unfortunately, asking politely was leaving him with unwanted responses. He would just have to command an answer from her. "Tell me your full, true name," he ordered.

  


"Kagome Higurashi, milord," the black-haired girl answered, the name sounding strange on her own tongue. She hadn't said it out loud in years. All of her other masters had given her a pet name, not caring who she really was at all. She had never cared about that fact at the time, but it suddenly began to bother her; however, she didn't know why.

  


"Kagome, how old are you?" Sesshoumaru inquired. He was guessing that she was about seventeen, but he just wanted to make sure.

  


"Nineteen, milord." Kagome was watching her new master carefully, making sure to keep her face blank. _'Why does he ask me questions? It's not like he cares. They've never cared before. All my other masters have just used me, abused me, and then sold me. He won't be any different.'_

  


She had lost all hope many years ago that she would ever get a kind master, and she didn't dare start hoping again just because her new master was curious. Hope was a deadly emotion that had no place in the life of a slave. It only lead to pain and torture, as she had learned from Naraku and many of her masters.

  


_'Nineteen... I hate being wrong.' _"How long have you been a slave?" The question was important, although it was personal. Sesshoumaru just hoped that the girl wouldn't break down crying if the question brought up painful memories.

  


"Since I was ten, milord," she replied, her voice still holding no emotion, much to the youkai's surprise. Her tears had permanently dried long ago. The subject of her becoming a slave hadn't bothered her in ages. In fact, nothing had really bothered her in years. She felt only two real emotions: anger -which she always kept hidden- and boredom. Being a slave for nine years seemed to have that effect on people, especially on abused slaves, and any happiness she felt when obeying orders was magically induced.

  


Sesshoumaru thought on that for a bit. She had been a slave for a long time, not as long as some other slaves, but a long time nonetheless. He could only guess what her old masters had put her through... which brought a new question to his mind.

  


"How many masters have you had?" the inu youkai asked, looking over at her when he stopped at a red light. All he saw was an emotionless girl watching him with blank, blue-gray eyes.

  


Kagome thought for a few moments, slowing adding them up. "Thirty-six, milord."

  


_'Thirty-six!'_ his mind shouted. _'That's an average of four masters a year. I've never heard of a slave going through so many masters that quickly.'_ The dog demon frowned. "Why have you gone through so many?"

  


"They tire of me quickly, milord. Most claim that they bore of me because I have no spirit, milord," she told him, secretly curious as to why he had asked that question. Why would anyone care? He would just get rid of her soon enough anyway, so why should it matter if she had gone through so many masters? "I don't know why my lack of spirit would bother them. I obeyed all their orders."

  


He sighed softly. _'Whoever broke her did a too-damn-good job of it,'_ he thought sourly. _'Slaves are rarely ever as meek as this one. She's so bad that she hides all of her emotions so deep that even I can't sense them. All I've got to say is that this had all better be worth spiting the whelp and the slave industry.'_

  


Sesshoumaru decided to try one last question. It was a nonsense one that had absolutely no importance... except to get the girl to voice her opinion. Getting her to admit that she had an opinion would be her first step towards becoming whatever her old self was. "Kagome, what's your favorite color?"

  


"My favorite color is suppose to be whatever yours is, milord," Kagome responded in her normal, beautiful voice.

  


He groaned silently. "That was not the answer I wanted," he told her mildly.

  


"Forgive me, milord. What answer do you desire of me?" She wanted to please him, really she did. Well, the spell was what wanted to please him, but it was the same thing to the miko.

  


_'Oh, yes. The wonderful training that broke her is dictating her answers. How could I forget that this would happen?'_ "I want you to honestly tell me what your favorite color is," Sesshoumaru replied calmly then waited patiently for an answer.

  


A quick glance at the girl told him that she was fighting an inner battle. Part of her wanted to obey the order he had given her while the other part told her to stick to her training. The former part won.

  


"Green, milord," she finally answered.

  


He smiled slightly at his small victory. So the girl liked green. Good. He would have to purchase her some green clothes then. Considering her appearance, she would look good in the right shades. He would have to buy her some blue clothes as well. _'Yes, she needs some new clothes. There is no way I am going to allow her to walk around in that absurd genie outfit. Besides, once she starts eating regularly again, her form will fill out and those clothes will cease to fit.'_

  


"What is your favorite food?" The last question had been answered, so he had decided to ask another.

  


"Whatever yo-" Kagome shut her mouth when Sesshoumaru gave her a meaningful look. It was a you-know-what-I-meant-and-that's-not-it look. She took a breath and tried again, very much wanting to please him. "Oden, milord."

  


Hmmm... he did have some oden at home. He had half a mind to make her some once they arrived there. It wouldn't take long to make, that was for sure. For all he knew, the oden would help her regress back to normal and forget her training. _'Not very likely,'_ he thought to himself with a silent snort. _'But I've certainly made a start.'_

  


~*~

  


Once Sesshoumaru arrived back to his mansion, he led Kagome to the dining room and ordered her to stay there until he came back with food. All he got in response was her customary answer. Truthfully, he had been hoping that she would question the order as she had the ability to cook for herself. Unfortunately, she hadn't done so.

  


_'She has made progress though. I am a patient demon,' _he thought as he prepared the oden. _'I can easily wait for her to heal. She will not be able to outlast my patience.'_ He was very sure of himself. After all, he was a dog demon and a royal one at that. His father had been a taiyoukai, a great demon, and lord of the western lands. He was a lord as well, just not like his father had been. Instead, he was a lord of business. He owned a large, thriving corporation that dealt in the most advanced technology. It was his pride and joy.

  


The timer suddenly binged, announcing that the oden was done. Picking up the large bowl of oden with one covered hand and gathering up some bowls and forks with the other, he went back into the dining room.

  


As Sesshoumaru set the oden down on the mahogany table in front of Kagome, he watched her for any reaction. He didn't see all that much, but her eyes did briefly flash with some emotion before becoming dull once again. That little display was enough for him to make a mental note to buy more oden. Any reaction was better than none.

  


With a clawed hand, he gave the slave a bowl and spoon, setting his own bowl and eating utensil in front of him. "Help yourself," Sesshoumaru told her, expecting her to take as much as she could and begin shoveling the food in as fast as possible, much like his half-brother had done when he had been younger.

  


Instead, Kagome gave him a confused look. "Forgive me, milord, but I do not understand your order." He couldn't possibly want her to eat while she sat next to him. Surely he would put her in a closet with some food and leave her there until he had need of her. That was what the others had always done.

  


Using only one hand, he rubbed one of his temples gently with his first two fingers. "I would like you to take as much of the oden as you think you'll eat and put it in your bowl. Then I want you to eat until you are full. If you finish off what you took and are still hungry, have another helping." He felt like he was explaining things to a child. Though, he knew a child named Rin who was only five, and even she did not question him like Kagome was doing.

  


Kagome frowned, still unsure of what he was telling her. _'He wants me to eat until I'm no longer hungry? Doesn't he know that slaves are suppose to get fed only enough to keep them alive?'_

  


After a few moments, the spell caught up with her. She did what Sesshoumaru told her to do, taking a very modest amount of oden, even though her stomach screamed at her to take much more. Slowly and neatly, she began to eat, taking small bites, a feeling of happiness rolling through her since she had obeyed him.

  


Sesshoumaru was surprised by her table manners. He had expected them to be terrible, yet her manners were better than many of his business associates. If he ever had company while she was at his house, he felt assured that she would not embarrass him. If anything, she probably would be an asset to him.

  


While she ate, Kagome let her mind process everything that had happened. First, she had been bought. Then, the guy had asked her questions... questions that he had no real reason to want an answer to. After that, the guy fed her, telling her to eat as much as she wanted.

  


_'Why did he buy me? He seems to show no interest in my body. He's treating me like I'm a free person. This doesn't make any sense... HE doesn't make any sense. He must have some reason for buying me. There's no way he would have spent that much money if there hadn't been a reason.'_

  


She wanted to ask her new master just what his reasons were, but she didn't dare inquire. She was forbidden to ask him useless questions. It had been one of the first lessons that her masters had literally beaten into her. It was a lesson that she would never, ever forget.

  


Sesshoumaru was thinking as he ate as well. He had an important job and work to do, so he couldn't be with her all day. Judging by what the girl had done so far, he guessed that she wouldn't do anything unless she was ordered to. That meant that she wouldn't eat, bathe, or sleep unless he told her to do so. Also, he didn't have servants who could help take care of her; he didn't like them walking around his house. He enjoyed his privacy much more than not having to do any housework.

  


_'I wonder what she's like when no one's around...'_ He mentally shook his head to clear his thoughts. He wasn't supposed to care about that. All he was supposed to do was help her return to her normal self, keep her away from Inuyasha until the inu hanyou didn't want her anymore, and then set her free. Simple. Easy. At least, that was what he thought.

  


Kagome paused for a moment, then put more oden in her empty bowl. She did that three more times until she was full. The entire time, she kept quiet just like her master did. She could tell he was thinking, even that he was thinking about her. Naraku had hired someone to train her in some of her miko powers. Because she was partially trained, she knew how to sense emotions and some basic thoughts.

  


Ever since she had met her new master, she had mostly been getting an uninterested feeling off of him. There were sparks of other feelings, but nothing major. No anger, no displeasure, no happiness, no desire... just a feeling that he really didn't care.

  


Coming out of his thoughts, Sesshoumaru noticed that Kagome had stopped eating. She was watching him with her dull eyes, and he found that a little disquieting.

  


"Kagome, if you are done eating, I'll show you to your room," he said, standing up. He needed to do something with the girl, and letting her stare at him wasn't it.

  


"Yes, milord," she replied, copying his actions.

  


"Now then," he began as he walked down a hallway. She followed him wordlessly. "I'm going to establish some ground rules. You are to bathe or shower every day. While I am at work, you are to eat both breakfast and lunch. There is plenty of food in the kitchen. You are to help yourself to whatever you can find. At night, you are to sleep."

  


"Yes, milord."

  


"In the evenings, you will eat supper with me," he added. "Tomorrow, when I get home from work, we are going to go shopping and get you some decent clothes."

  


"Yes, milord," Kagome responded as she had been taught, feeling confused again. _'He wants to get me different clothes? Doesn't he like the clothes I am wearing? My last few masters loved my outfit.'_

  


Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly. _'The next thing I am going to fix is her calling me 'milord'. It is very quickly starting to get old.'_ "Here is your room." He opened the door and gestured for her to enter it. "I will see you in the morning." With that said, he left her to her own devices... whatever those were.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome stared at the retreating form of the incredibly handsome dog demon for a moment. She was confused again, a feeling she was adjusting to rather quickly thanks to her new master. _'He doesn't want me to go to his room with him?'_ she wondered, frowning._ 'Did I do something wrong?'_

  


The first thing all her old masters had done was introduce her to their sleeping quarters and bed. Not one of them had left her alone for the first night or even the first week. For her new master to not want to sleep with her meant that she had done something that he hadn't liked. She had obviously done something wrong.

  


Shaking her head, she went into the room as she had been instructed. What she saw nearly took her breath away. Never in her life had she seen a more beautiful room. It was almost too perfect to believe.

  


The room was elegant almost to an extreme. The carpet was a rich, plush cream color and very soft. A large, navy blue and cream Turkish rug was placed in the center of the room. Along the farthest wall was a huge, canopy bed with navy blue sheets and large, glass double doors with navy curtains that lead to a white balcony. On the wall to her left was a dresser and a open oak door to the bathroom. On the right wall was a desk and another oak door, probably to a closet. The walls had been left white, but a navy blue top trim went around the perimeter of the room. Beautiful landscape paintings hung on the walls as well, giving the room a completed look.

  


_'There must be some mistake,' _she thought fearfully. _'This can't be my room. This can't be where he wants me to sleep. Is this his idea of a cruel joke? Is he going to reappear suddenly and scold me for being stupid enough to think I was worthy of this room?' _She shook her head, banishing her thoughts. _'He gave me an order, and I must follow it. He gestured for me to enter.'_ Her gaze wandered over to the bathroom. _'He did say that I was suppose to take a shower every day, and I haven't taken one since yesterday morning, so I'd better go follow orders.'_

  


Shutting the oak door behind her, Kagome went into the bathroom. She took a few moments to study the place, which was as elegant as the bedroom and in matching colors. A huge white tub, big enough for her to lay fully down in, was along one wall. Along the other wall was a sink and toilet. The mirror above the sink doubled as a medicine cabinet. A large, navy blue rug covered a portion of the cream-tiled floor. Dark blue terry-cloth towels hung from a metal bar near the bathtub.

  


Stripping, she filled the tub up with warm water. She let a sigh of contentment escape her lips as she sunk into the water. It had been ages since she had taken a warm bath or shower. Most of her old masters had made her take very short, cold showers.

  


Kagome was further impressed when she saw bottles of sweet-smelling shampoo, condition, and soap sitting in the corner. Smiling slightly, she quickly washed her hair and body. Once done, she decided to let herself soak, just for a little while. _'Five more minutes,'_ she thought, sounding tired even in her mind.

  


Sinking a little lower into the water, she gently massaged her neck muscles with her hands. _'This is all so strange. My new master is incredibly different from all my old ones. He knows that I'm a slave, a worthless slave, yet he keeps treating me like a normal person. He wants to know what I like. He wants me to be clean and to eat as much as I want. He wants me to sleep in a beautiful room by myself.' _She sighed. _'He's probably just playing around with me. Soon, he'll reveal his true colors and start acting like all the others. He won't treat me like this for much longer. There's no way.'_

  


Kagome sighed again and forced herself to get out of the tub. Wrapping herself in a large, soft towel, she unplugged the drain and quickly began to dry off. Once she had finished, she hung the towel back up, grabbed her clothes, and went back into the bedroom.

  


She knew that she would have to wear her genie outfit again, so she shook it out and hung it over the chair in front of the desk. Then, having nothing else better to do, she crawled into bed, rolled over onto her side, pulled the covers up to her chin, and proceeded to stare at the wall until sleep overcame her.

  


~*~

  


Down the hall, Sesshoumaru picked up the phone in his study and dialed a familiar number. He needed to find out exactly how to free her, and Shippou was the best one for the job. After three rings, someone picked up the phone.

  


~Hello?~ came a boyish, friendly voice from the other end. He sounded rather happy to be getting a phone call.

  


"Good evening, Shippou," Sesshoumaru greeted him. He knew that the fox demon would start babbling any second, so he got right down to business. "I need you to find out some information for me."

  


~Oh?~ Shippou asked, his childish curiosity raising a few notches. ~What kind of information?~

  


"I bought a slave today," he began, but he was quickly interrupted. Kitsunes were not known for their patience or good manners.

  


~What?!~ the fox demon sputtered. ~But I could have sworn that you hated slavery.~ Sesshoumaru had made it incredibly clear on many occasions how much he detested the vile business. For the inu youkai to say that he had bought a slave was like a dog claiming that he was a cat.

  


"Yes. My pathetic half-brother was trying to buy her in one of the auctions, and I decided to outbid him," he clarified, proving -at least in his eyes- that he had had good reasons for his actions. "Now, I want to know how to free her."

  


~Oh, that should be easy to find out,~ Shippou replied, sounding pleased with himself. He figured that it would take him an hour or so to find out that small bit of information."Don't get too cocky yet, kitsune," Sesshoumaru advised. "There's a complication." He understood that Shippou had a habit of jumping to conclusions and of not waiting to hear the whole story. The weak, cunning demon was two centuries old, yet he still acted like a child at times.

  


The fox demon sighed. ~Go figure. With you, there is always at least one complication. What is it this time?~

  


"She has a spell on her that makes her obey me; it makes her happy whenever she obeys me. For her to be free, the spell has to removed," he answered. His logic was flawless. No one could be free if a simple spell forced him or her to obey someone else.

  


~Hmmm... sounds like youkai magic.~ Shippou thought for a few moments. ~I'll ask around. Someone will probably know. If all else fails, I can ask Lady Kaede.~ Lady Kaede was a miko and an old friend of Shippou's. Unfortunately, she was almost too old to perform most spells, and her memory wasn't quite what it had once been.

  


"Thank you. I expect to hear from you soon." Sesshoumaru responded, finding the kistune's reply satisfactory.

  


~Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye and good night, Sesshoumaru,~ the fox demon replied, sighing right before he hung up the phone.

  


The dog demon set down his phone as well, mentally groaning as he looked at the paperwork on top of his desk. He had so many things to do. Running a business was hard work, he wasn't about to deny that, but he had never even thought that there would be so many days in which he would have three hours worth of papers to shift through. _'I'm just glad my technology business is worth it,' _he thought, trying to make his headache recede back to wherever it had come from.

  


Rubbing his forehead with one hand, he reached for his aspirin and water bottle that he always kept at his desk. Putting two pills in his mouth, he took a drink of water and swallowed. _'Kagome was a bigger strain on me than I thought. Her calling me 'milord' all the time obviously annoyed me more than I noticed.'_

  


There were many times when Sesshoumaru ignored his feelings. He was quite adapt at it, especially when he knew that he needed to be patient. He always got the most practice at his office at work when the stupid employees tested his patience at the worst moments possible.

  


He knew that he needed to get some work done soon, so he flexed his fingers, picked up a pen, and went to work on the large stacks of papers with a complete lack of enthusiasm.

  


~*~

  


Midnight rolled around, and Sesshoumaru finally decided to call it quits. With a yawn, he pushed back from his desk and stood up, stretching as he did so. He had to admit, it felt good to have most of the work done. It had cost him a few hours a sleep, but since he was a youkai, he didn't require much rest anyway. Four hours was usually more than enough for him.

  


He walked down the hallway, stopping as he passed by Kagome's room. He could hear muttering of some sort. It didn't sound good, and he could smell her fear. Something wasn't right.

  


Frowning, he opened the door and walked in. His keen, golden eyes picked up every detail of the room; and even in the dark, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary. The only living things in the room were the girl and him.

  


_'What is the fear scent for then?'_ he wondered, walking over to stand by the bed. The dog demon looked down at the sleeping girl, taking note of the silk sheets pooled around her waist that revealed her bare chest. He pulled the material up until it covered her, listening to her mumbling as he did so.

  


"Mama?! Papa?! Souta?!" she whimpered, curling up into the fetal position. "No." The last word was more of a distressed groan. "Leave them alone... please." Her face was twisted into an expression of extreme sorrow that made his heart jerk painfully in his chest.

  


_'She's having a nightmare,'_ Sesshoumaru surmised. He had seen Sango soothe her little sister Rin while the girl had been having a nightmare. She had rubbed one of Rin's cheeks gently as she had gently whispered soothing words. He did the same for Kagome. "Shush," he said softly, running the back of his hand down the side of her face.

  


Amazingly enough, she almost immediately quieted. She ceased to mutter or moan. Her expression became serene, and she slowly uncurled some, her muscles relaxing.

  


He was a little surprised by that, but he wasn't about to protest. He didn't want her mumbling and such anymore. It had been too depressing for him to watch for even that little bit of time.

  


The inu youkai stood there for a few more moments, studying Kagome with his golden eyes. _'I do have to admit that she looks like an angel when she sleeps... a very pretty angel. It is no wonder that so many men wanted her. Most men would pay anything for a girl like this.'_

  


He scowled then, ideas of what most of the men would have probably done to the girl flashing through his head. He believed that no one deserved to be treated as slaves usually were. Reluctantly, he acknowledged the fact that Inuyasha would have treated the girl well enough. _'He probably would have treated her exactly like Kikyou. He most likely would have even named her that and dressed her exactly like his dead wife use to dress.'_

  


Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, his silver-white hair swishing back and forth as he did so, he left the room and went to his own. Knowing that he would have to deal with Inuyasha in the morning, the taiyoukai went to bed with a plan already forming in his mind. The hanyou wouldn't stand a chance, and he most certainly would not get Kagome, no matter what price he named. 


	4. Chapter 4

Sesshoumaru woke up to the smell of food flooding his room. _'Hmmm... that smells pretty good,'_ he thought as he tried to figure out where the smell was coming from and why. His mind hadn't quite woken up yet, although his body already had. It took him a few minutes to remember that he was sharing his house with a slave girl. _'How could I have forgotten? She must have gotten up and decided to make herself breakfast.'_

  


With a mental groan, he rolled over and looked at his alarm clock. _'Six- thirty. What is that girl doing up so early? Why didn't she sleep in?'_ He had never heard of a slave that rose early of his or her free will. Of course, he didn't know much about slaves anyway. He had always steered clear of conversations whenever they had drifted towards that subject.

  


Gracefully getting out of bed, he set about getting ready for work.

  


~*~

  


Fifteen minutes later saw Sesshoumaru in the kitchen, wearing his business suit, a briefcase in one hand. The sun had already risen, sending its warm beams of light into the room, highlighting the oak cabinets, the pale-blue walls, and a girl dressed in a familiar genie outfit cooking pancakes.

  


It was a peaceful scene with the girl moving about as if she had done everything hundreds of times before. The sunlight glistened off her black hair, making it shine almost blue. Her hips seductively swayed back and forth as she almost inaudibly hummed a pleasant tune. Her hands easily used a spatula to flip the pancakes as she occasionally glanced out the window over the nearby sink.

  


Suddenly, she tensed up and her humming ceased. She quickly finished cooking the last pancake in the pan and then turned around. With her hands on her thighs, she bowed very low to the dog demon.

  


"Forgive me, milord," she said, voice pleasant, her head down.

  


Sesshoumaru frowned, completely lost as to why she would apologize. "For what?" he asked, confused by her actions.

  


"I unknowingly ignored you, milord," she replied immediately, bowing again. She didn't rise out of the bow, her mind telling her exactly what was going to come next. Her master was going to hit her for her insensitivity.

  


He shook his head sadly. The girl seemed to be expecting him to do something. Taking note of her tense body and her posture, he guessed that she was expecting him to punish her. "Relax, Kagome. I am not angry." He paused, setting down his briefcase. "Please stand up straight now."

  


Kagome happily did as she was told, effectively hiding her surprise. _'He's telling the truth. He's not angry at all. Why though? He certainly has a right to be angry. I wasn't paying enough attention to notice him. My other masters would have hit me and denied me breakfast.'_

  


Sesshoumaru decided to change the subject as he found the current one not to his tastes. "I see you made pancakes. Is there enough for two?"

  


Taking a quick glance at the plate with the food, she turned to the inu youkai and nodded her head. "Yes, milord." There was easily enough for two people. She had been planning on saving the extra pancakes for her breakfast the next day, but her master came first. Besides, she could always make more.

  


"Then I think I will have breakfast with you this morning," he told her. _'And while we eat, I can convince her to stop calling me 'milord'. By the time I'm done eating, I should hopefully have her calling me by my real name.'_

  


Quickly and easily, Sesshoumaru set the table as Kagome took the food into the dining room. It didn't take very long to get everything together for the meal, especially since the food had already been cooked.

  


As soon as both of them were seated, Sesshoumaru brought up the subject of what she called him. He knew that he had to bring it up eventually, and he wanted to get it done before she gave him another headache. "Kagome, You don't need to call me 'milord' all the time. I would prefer for you to use my name." He really did hope that she would obey without questioning him. Unfortunately, his luck wasn't working at that moment, much to his displeasure.

  


"M-milord? I don't understand, milord," she replied, her eyes wide and her voice unsteady. _'I must have misheard him. There is no way in the entire world that he actually said what I think he just said. No master EVER lets a slave call him by his first name. It just isn't done!'_ He sighed mentally. _'So much for obeying without questioning me; however, I didn't give her a direct order, so that might have something to do with it.'_ "Instead of calling me 'milord' constantly, call me by Sesshoumaru, Sess... you can even call me Fluffy like Rin does if you so desire."

  


The mental slap to wake him up came too late. The damage was already done. _'Why did I just say she could call me Fluffy? Am I that brain dead this morning? Well, it's too late now. I'm not going to go back on my word. I was taught better than that.'_

  


"Any of those three, milord?" she inquired, still a little confused. _'This guy is so... confusing. I've never had a master like him. Nothing he does makes any sense. It's official now, he's toying with me.'_

  


"Yes," the dog demon responded, mentally wincing. He didn't like being called Fluffy. It was humiliating.

  


She stayed silent for a good, long moment. "If that is what you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama." She knew that she had to obey orders, no matter how strange they were. Of course, she also wanted to obey orders, a fact that could never be ignored. _'Now I just know that he's playing with me. No one would ever let a slave call them 'Fluffy.'_

  


"That is what I wish, Kagome." He finished off the last of his pancakes and stood up. "Now, I'm going to work. You stay here in the house and be good. If you so desire, you may watch the TV or read one of my books. The library is downstairs."

  


Kagome stared at the inu youkai, completely confused again. "Sesshoumaru- sama, are you sure that there is nothing that you need me to do while you are gone?" _'There's no way he could actually be planning on leaving me here without giving me some work to do. No masters have ever left me at home to enjoy myself.'_

  


"No," Sesshoumaru replied in his calm voice, shaking his head. _'She must be very badly broken if she expects to always have work to do. I do hope that she isn't too broken in. She'll be much harder to help if she is.'_ He mentally sighed. _'It looks like I really do have my work cut out for me.'_

  


Kagome nodded her head, accepting the answer... although her training and the spell wouldn't have let her do anything else. _'So I'm just suppose to watch TV or read a book if I want to? This doesn't make any sense. I wish that someone could explain my new master to me.'_

  


"I'll be back by five thirty. Take care until then," Sesshoumaru said, picking up his briefcase. "Lock the door behind me." Then, he left the house, got in his car, and drove off.

  


The girl stood there for a moment, furiously trying to process everything that had happened in the past fifteen minutes. Finally, she gave up and came out of her daze. Attempting to clear her mind of her confusing thoughts, she went to the door.

  


There were only two locks on the door, a chain and one on the doorknob. She turned the lock on the knob and slipped the chain's end into the metal part on the door.

  


With that done, Kagome resigned herself to boredom. She wasn't about to read or turn on the television. She had no desire to watch TV; and although she would have loved to read, she knew better. _'My first master explained to me very clearly that I was not to touch a book ever again. It would be bad of me to go against my training... especially if I end up getting a new master who does not wish me to read.'_

  


She settled down on the living room couch, deciding to stay there until lunch. It was an easy decision to make. After all, she had learned long ago that a slave was often bored and that it was in a slave's best interest to take advantage of every relaxation opportunity provided.

  


With nothing to do for a few hours, Kagome let her mind wander a bit. Eventually, though, her thoughts wandered back to her new master. _'I wonder how long it'll take for him to show his true colors and begin abusing me. It can't take too much longer.' _She rolled over onto her stomach. _'He must be having a lot of fun toying with me though, because he has certainly been doing that a whole lot... not that I actually mind.'_

  


Finally, Kagome remembered that she did have something to do. She needed to clean up her mess from breakfast. All the ingredients had been left out, and the pan was still sitting on the stove.

  


Feeling a little better since there was work to be done, she got up and went to the kitchen. In no time, she had the kitchen spotless again, the dishes washed and put away, and all the extra food placed in the fridge.

  


Done with that little bit of work, she was bored once again. Shrugging her shoulders, she went back into the living room. She was about to sit down on the couch when someone knocked on the door.

  


Frowning for the briefest moment, she went to the door and unlocked the lock on the knob. Without undoing the chain, she opened the door a crack, wondering who would be visiting the house while her master was at work. _'What am I suppose to do if they want to see Sesshoumaru-sama? I don't know where he works.'_

  


"Ah... hello my dearest little slave," the visitor said in an oily, evil voice that reeked of darkness.

  


Kagome successfully repressed a shudder. "What is it that you desire of me, Naraku-sama?" she asked the hanyou, hiding her hatred for the demon expertly. She was allowed to call the youkai by his name because he was no longer her master or keeper, but she talked to him respectfully. The man could still hurt her, after all.

  


"I want you to come with me for an hour or so, sweetling," he replied, smiling suggestively. The real reason of why he had come was clearly evident from his huge grin.

  


"Please forgive me, Naraku-sama, but my lord told me to stay here. I'm afraid that I cannot go anywhere with you," Kagome told him, making sure to keep her voice emotionless. It would not be good if Naraku got angry at her, which he would surely do if she showed any emotion.

  


"Then perhaps you can let me in so we can play for a while?" He pushed against the door, trying to force it gently open. He ceased his actions and growled when he noticed the chain.

  


She thought for a few moments then shook her head. "That is forbidden to me as well, Naraku-sama. My lord also told me to be good, and letting someone into his house without his permission is bad, Naraku-sama." _'Chew on that, Naraku!'_ she mentally shouted. _'You taught me that rule yourself!'_

  


"Wench," Naraku snapped, dark eyes flashing in anger. "You will find a way to let me in." _'I hadn't been expecting this problem. If I had known there would be problems with seeing her, then I wouldn't have sold her.'_

  


"Forgive me, for I cannot do that, Naraku-sama. My training says that doing so would be bad." Kagome gave him a meek look, hoping that he wouldn't punish her. "Is there anything else you desire of me, Naraku-sama?" She prayed that he would leave, but unfortunately, he didn't.

  


Scowling, he tried to force the door open, scaring Kagome. Trembling, she backed up away from the door as she watched the hanyou fight to break the chain lock. Finally, Naraku gave up. "You will pay for this, my little one. When Sesshoumaru grows tired of you, I will be the one to buy you. Then you will not be able to avoid me." With a wicked smile, he walked away.

  


Kagome shut the door as quickly as possible and locked it tightly, swearing that she would find a way to avoid the evil hanyou for the rest of her life. _'I will find a way. I don't care what it is or how long it takes to find it; I will find a way.'_

  


Still slightly shaking from the awful encounter, she curled back up on the soft couch and fell asleep, letting her nightmares claim her once again.

  



	5. Chapter 5

Sesshoumaru sighed and pressed a button on his intercom. "Let him in, Ms. Smith." Then, he slowly began to count down. _'Three... two... one.'_

  


"Sesshoumaru! You bastard!" Inuyasha shouted as he barged into the full youkai's office. "You bought her just because I was bidding on her." He was half-tempted to draw his sword, the tetsusaiga, and attack his pompous bastard of a brother.

  


"Please close the door behind you. I do not want you to disturb my employees who are actually working," the inu youkai told his half-brother calmly, pointing one clawed hand at the door.

  


Growling, the inu hanyou slammed the door shut and stomped up to stand right in front of Sesshoumaru's desk. "You had the nerve to buy the slave girl just to spite me! I wanted her!"

  


"And who's to say that I didn't?" he countered gently, slowly organizing some papers on his desk. He really hadn't wanted the girl, but he did enjoy torturing his brother.

  


"But... but..." Inuyasha sputtered, surprised unknowingly doing just what his brother wanted. His eyes went wide and his mouth was hanging slightly open. He could have sworn that his older brother hated slavery even more than he did.

  


Also, Sesshoumaru loved proving how superior he was when it came to words. He smirked slightly, loving the look on the younger demon's face. _'Such a priceless look. It would be nice to have a camera right now. A picture would make a perfect memento for my recent little victory over him.'_

  


Right then, Inuyasha let loose a stream of words that would have astonished even a seasoned sailor. He hated being bested by his half-brother in anything. "I want the girl. That's all. Now, give her to me."

  


"No. I bought her for a reason, and I have no desire to sell her at this moment," Sesshoumaru responded, sounding disinterested. "If you want a slave girl so badly, then visit the slave store. I'm sure that there are many more where Kagome came from."

  


"Kagome? That's the slave girl's name?" Inuyasha demanded to know, narrowing his golden eyes. He liked the name instantly, and his desire to gain possession of the slave increased.

  


"Yes. Now, if you have finished your business with me, could you please leave so that I may get back to work?" Without waiting for a reply, Sesshoumaru returned to looking through his papers with a calm, attentive eye.

  


Growling in annoyance, the hanyou stormed out of the office, leaving his half-brother in peace. He wasn't happy about how things had gone, and he wasn't going to cheer up until he had his way. He was a stubborn demon, after all, and he never gave up on anything. To make that very point, he slammed the door on his way out.

  


Once Inuyasha was gone, Sesshoumaru chuckled and allowed himself a small smile. _'He certainly is entertaining. I must remember to do this more often.'_ Then his smile faded, and he went back to work.

  


The rest of the day was normal for the inu youkai, which meant that it was boring. He dealt with the normal problems, talked with usual people, and went through the normally large amount of paperwork.

  


When it was finally time for him to go home, he found himself not quite looking forward to that prospect as usual. He wasn't quite ready to deal with Kagome just yet.

  


_'Taking her shopping is going to be exhausting, especially since I'll probably be forced to fight her slave training almost every step of the way,'_ he thought sourly, mentally scowling. _'It has to be done though. There is no way I want her to continue wearing that ridiculous outfit that she has. Some nice pants and shirts will do her a lot of good. I can't get her too much though, because none of it will probably fit in two or three weeks. As soon as her form fully fills back out, I'll make sure she gets plenty of clothes.'_

  


Putting the rest of his work in his briefcase, Sesshoumaru got up and left his office. As he left, he said good-bye to a few of his employees, checked with his secretary to make sure that no pressing matters had suddenly popped up, and made sure some of the more important lab doors were locked. With nothing pressing that remained for him to do, he went home.

  


~*~

  


As soon as Sesshoumaru got out of his car, a most unpleasant smell hit his nose. It smelled like filth, dirt, and bad blood. _'Naraku has been here. He left a few hours ago, judging by how stale the smell is, but he was here.' _He growled, having a pretty good idea as to why Naraku had decided to pay his house a visit. The hanyou had wanted the slave girl.

  


His mood dark, he went to his front door and unlocked the lock on the knob. He opened the door as much as the chain lock would allow him, wincing as more of Naraku's smell hit him. _'That damn hanyou was inside my house!'_

  


Before he could shout for Kagome to let him in, she appeared on the other side of the door. He was a little surprised at how suddenly she had appeared, but he didn't let that bother him. He had more important things to worry about... like why Kagome had let the hanyou inside.

  


"Mi- Sesshoumaru-sama, if you'll let me close the door for a moment, I will undo the chain lock for you," she told him, her voice calm, dull, and still beautiful. As soon as the dog demon nodded his head, she shut the door, undid the lock, and reopened the door for him.

  


Sesshoumaru gracefully walked into the living room and set his briefcase down in a nearby chair, his face dark. He was not happy, so he immediately turned his displeasure onto the girl. "Why did you let Naraku into my house?" His tone wasn't very loud, but it was louder than usual and laced with anger.

  


She fell to her knees, pressing her forehead and palms to the floor the instant he began to speak. "Forgive me, milord! I did not let him in. He tried to enter though, milord; but I did not let him in." _'He's going to hit me now. There's no doubt about it. He's angry at me, so I can't see how he could possibly do anything else. I wish he would just hit me and get it over with though. Considering he's a youkai, it's really going to hurt.'_

  


_'I can smell fear on her. She's scared of... me?'_ His frown deepened. _'And she's back to the 'milord' stuff again. I don't think she's lying to me, but I don't see why she's so scared.'_ He stared at her for a few moments, and then it dawned on him. _'She thinks that I'm going to hit her. Since I'm angry, she believes that I'm going to take it out on her.'_

  


"Please get up, Kagome. I'm not going to hit you," he told her, sighing very softly. When she stood back up, he addressed her again. "So, if you didn't let him in, how did his smell get into my living room?"

  


"Forgive me, milo-" She shook her head, deciding to try again. "Sesshoumaru-sama. I heard a knock on the door, so I opened it up a bit, leaving the chain still locked in place. The smell must have come in that way, Sesshoumaru-sama." _'He's not going to hit me? But... why? He is angry. I can tell that without any problems, but why doesn't he hit me?'_

  


"Do you know why he came here?" he asked, hoping to get an exact answer.

  


"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." She paused for a moment, hoping that he would leave it at that. She really didn't want to have to say anything more on the subject of Naraku.

  


Sesshoumaru mentally sighed in exasperation. "Then tell me the reason." He couldn't figure out why the girl had suddenly become a little more difficult. He had expected her to give him the reason immediately, not make him draw it out of her.

  


"He wanted me to go somewhere with him," Kagome responded reluctantly, although she hid her reluctance well. She had obviously made her master unhappy once, and she wasn't about to do it again.

  


"Why?" He frowned slightly, not quite sure as to why Naraku would want Kagome. His brain was tired from the long day at work, and it was just plain refusing to come up with any answers.

  


"He didn't say, Sesshoumaru-sama," she replied simply, although she had an excellent idea as to what Naraku had wanted with her. She wasn't stupid.

  


The dog demon took one look at her and realized that she knew more. "You have a good guess, don't you?" Kagome nodded her head. "Then why don't you enlighten me?"

  


She mentally cringed. "I believe that he wanted to have sex with me, Sesshoumaru-sama." She hadn't wanted to say that, really she hadn't. She hated the fact that she had been used as a toy in the past, and she always tried her best to avoid speaking about it. However, if the inu youkai wanted to use her as a toy, then the spell would make sure that she was more than happy to comply.

  


Sesshoumaru's gaze softened considerably, but he worried about the dull, bored tone she had continued to use when she had said that last statement. "That is not going to happen to you while you're with me," he assured her. "From now on, I want you to stay away from Naraku. Don't go anywhere with him, don't do anything with him, and don't let him into the house. Don't even open the door for him."

  


"As you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama." She bowed to him, trying to keep a surprised look off of her face. _'All my other masters didn't care. They let Naraku use me as he pleased as long as he did it while they were gone. Why does this one want to stop Naraku?'_

  


He narrowed his eyes slightly at her, considering something. "He's done this before, hasn't he? Before I bought you?" he asked, getting an affirmative response from the girl. "Did your other masters let Naraku play with you?"

  


"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." It took all her self control to keep her hatred from showing on her face.

  


"All of them?" he inquired, frowning when she replied in the affirmative. "And how many of them used you as a bedmate?"

  


"All 36, Sesshoumaru-sama," she answered, still sounding emotionless.

  


"Did you want any of them to use you as a bedmate?" he asked, carefully watching her face for any reaction at all.

  


_'Well, at the time, yes; but afterwards, when they were no longer my masters and the spell no longer worked for them...'_ she answered mentally. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome replied simply, her eyes just as blank as ever.

  


The dog demon growled softly. "I'm going to tell you right now that I am not going to force myself on you. I don't like slavery or the way slaves are used and treated. I am not going to behave toward you like all the others," he informed her, his tone one of sincerity. "As far as I am concerned, you are a free person, so I will treat you like one."

  


"Mi-milord?" she asked, her voice shaky. 'He... he can't have just meant what he said. There's no way... just no way at all.' She shook her head, forcing herself not to believe the inu youkai. She wasn't going to let herself be drawn into any trap. _'I let myself be tricked once, but never again. I will obey him with all my heart, but that doesn't mean that I have to believe every word he utters.'_

  


"I do not lie, Kagome. I have honor," he told her firmly, leaving no room for argument. He wasn't about to let the girl think that he was a liar. That just wouldn't do. His father and mother had raised him much better than that. True, he wasn't the kindest person in the world, but he wasn't cruel either. Above all, he did not ever go back on his word.

  


"Of... of course, Sesshoumaru-sama. Forgive me. I did not mean to offend you." Again, she bowed very low to him, her hands on her thighs.

  


The dog demon rubbed the bridge of his nose to fight off the headache that was quickly coming. "You don't need to bow to me, Kagome," he told her.

  


"As you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome responded, standing up straight.

  


He sighed mentally, knowing that it was going to be a very long evening. "Follow me, Kagome. I'm going to take you shopping and get you some better clothes." He turned and went back out the door, gesturing for the girl to walk behind him. She did as ordered without questioning him.

  


Once he had locked the door behind him, the inu youkai instructed the girl to get in the car as he did the same thing himself. With a soft sigh, he pulled the car out of the driveway and headed towards the mall.

  


~*~

  


At the crowed mall, Kagome stuck close to her master, faithfully following him like a puppy. She didn't like all the people being so close to her, but she put up with it. After all, Sesshoumaru had told her to follow him, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

  


Sesshoumaru went into many different stores, trying to find something that he thought the girl would like. Kagome wasn't being much help, much to his disappointment. She kept refusing to state any opinion at all. Well, avoiding his questions was more like it. _'She must be very deep in slave mode because she keeps insisting that she doesn't have an opinion. This is going to be a long, boring shopping trip.'_

  


Finally, he gave up on making her choose something, and he picked her clothes out for her instead. He didn't chose anything revealing or indecent. Instead, he bought her nice, stylish clothes that were just a little bit big. _'I can't get her too many things now because she might not be able to wear them in a week or so.'_

  


After an hour, Sesshoumaru decided that it was time to leave the mall. Kagome had a couple of shirts, two skirts, a couple pairs of nice pants, necessary undergarments, nightclothes, a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of nice, dress shoes. There was nothing he needed, so he saw no reason to remain at the mall any longer. Also, he was getting a headache again, and the noise in the mall wasn't helping.

  


"Kagome, we're going home now," he told the girl, knowing that she would automatically follow him out of the mall, carrying her half of the bags.

  


"As you wish, Mi- Sesshoumaru-sama," she responded instantly, doing her best to call him by his name as she followed him out of the mall. She had found the shopping trip rather interesting, especially when her master kept trying to get her to express an opinion. _'Does he honestly think that any slave is going to go against even one bit of their training while they're out in public? He must not know much about slaves, otherwise he would have known better,'_ she thought humorously, letting none of her amusement show on her face.

  


While she walked, her mind recalled how sincere he had sounded when he had said that he would treat her like a free person. _'He could be telling the truth. He does seem honorable.'_ After giving that thought a moment of consideration, she tossed it out the window. _'No. He's probably only toying with me. I know better than to trust my masters.' _She studied the back half of her master for a brief moment. _'But my heart seems to be revolting against my mind and telling me to believe him. Perhaps I should- '_

  


Kagome squished that thought like a disgusting bug, silently scolding herself as she did so. She knew how bad thoughts like that one were. She knew how dangerous it was for her to trust anyone, yet she had almost admitted that she could trust the inu youkai.

  


_'What is with me? Am I losing my mind?' _she wondered, mentally frowning at herself as she approached Sesshoumaru's car. _'I wouldn't have even considered that two days ago. Perhaps this youkai has some strange kind of magic that I've never seen?'_

  


Kagome knew that Sesshoumaru couldn't have magic that was effecting her in that way. Neither youkai powers nor miko magic was capable of making someone feel like they could trust someone else. It just wasn't possible, but it was the only explanation that she could come up with.

  


Her mind kept trying to think of explanations all the way home, completely unwilling to consider for even a brief moment that the inu youkai was trust- worthy. The dog demon couldn't be kind. It just wasn't possible, and she was determined to stick by that fact.

  


It took her the entire way home to force her traitorous heart to believe that statement even a little.

  



	6. Chapter 6

Supper and the rest of the evening were quiet and boring for both Sesshoumaru and Kagome. They only exchanged words when the inu youkai sent the girl off to bed so he could get some work done. He, of course, had just escorted her to her room, telling her to do whatever she wanted, while Kagome had replied with the usual "Yes, Sesshoumaru- sama." 

  


Within his silent study, Sesshoumaru was finally feeling his headache recede. The girl, whether she spoke or not, bothered him since she still acted like she had no personality. She just kept staring at him with her blank, blue-gray eyes that always annoyed him. That was one of the things that he wanted to change the most.

  


_'Perhaps I need to have a long talk with the girl,'_ Sesshoumaru thought as he pulled out some of his work. _'Tell her that I want her to stop acting like a slave, to let loose whatever emotions she has left. Of course, considering how her other masters have treated her, she probably won't believe me.' _He growled softly at the thought of her old masters, which made his mind go straight to Naraku.

  


Sesshoumaru didn't trust the evil hanyou one bit. In fact, he half expected Naraku to return in the morning for Kagome. The hanyou wouldn't use the front door again. More than likely, he would find a different way to get to the girl, and the inu youkai wasn't about to allow that. He would sell the girl to Inuyasha before he'd let Naraku get his hands on her.

  


Naraku certainly posed a problem to the dog demon. Sesshoumaru couldn't leave Kagome alone, but he had to go to work. The slave girl needed someone to watch over her, guard her, and protect her from the evil hanyou while he was away at the office.

  


Luckily, a perfect solution hit Sesshoumaru. He knew just whom to call. Within a few minutes, Kagome would have a bodyguard, and a good one at that. The bodyguard he was thinking of was excellent at fighting and very dependable.

  


Mentally smiling, he found the number in his address book, picked up the phone, and dialed. After a few minutes, someone on the other end answered the phone.

  


~Hello, Hiraikotsu residence,~ a young woman said in a friendly voice.

  


"This is Sesshoumaru. Am I speaking to Sango?" the inu youkai inquired, leaning back a little in his chair.

  


~Yes, this is Sango. Is this a business call?~ Sango responded, sounding curious. A year and a half ago she had helped protect one of Sesshoumaru's top employees from a youkai murderer. The dog demon had been very impressed with her when she had managed to capture the murderer with only the help of her pet demon-cat Kirara.

  


"I have a job for you," he informed her, glad that Sango didn't beat around the bush. "I recently bought a slave-"

  


A small gasping noise from Sango's end of the phone line cut him off. ~What did you just say?~ she asked, sounding surprised and unhappy.

  


"I just said that I had purchased a slave. I bought her because Inuyasha was biding on her." Sesshoumaru wondered how many times he would be forced to explain that. "Now, back to the job. A hanyou by the name of Naraku has decided that he wants Kagome, the slave I just bought. Earlier today he visited my house and tried to take her somewhere to bed her."

  


Sango immediately muttered insults under her breath, even though she knew that Naraku wouldn't be able to hear her. She was an avid hater of slavery, and everyone who had ever met her knew that.

  


"I find his presence on my property and near Kagome unacceptable. If you agree to work for me, you will watch over Kagome while I'm at work," he told her, knowing that she would take the job. "You will get paid one-hundred dollars a day along with breakfast and lunch."

  


Sango took only a brief moment to think about it. ~I accept your offer. Just tell me when I'm suppose to arrive tomorrow, and I'll be there.~

  


"Be here at seven in the morning," Sesshoumaru ordered her, knowing that Sango would probably arrive before the ordained time.

  


~I will,~ she promised, bringing the conversation to a close. ~Good-bye, Sesshoumaru. I'll see you tomorrow morning.~

  


The inu youkai said a quick farewell and hung up the phone as well, making a mental note to inform Kagome of the recent occurrences in the morning during breakfast. She would need to know about Sango, and it was the polite thing to do.

  


Besides, he was hoping that if he told Kagome what was going on, and then she might just trust him a little. After all, sharing information was a way of showing someone that you trusted them, and humans had a habit of returning trust. Sesshoumaru prayed that the girl would at least try to trust him a tiny bit.

  


He had just fixed the Naraku problem for her, so the least she could do was get out of slave mode and start acting like a real person. The sooner she acted like a real person, the sooner she would be free and the sooner he could get rid of her.

  


Since the Naraku problem had been taken care of, Sesshoumaru set his thoughts of Kagome aside so he could focus on work. With a small sigh, he picked up some important documents and began to read.

  


~*~

  


Around midnight, Sesshoumaru yawned, stretched, and put down the last of his work. He was done with all of his paperwork for once, and he couldn't have felt more pleased. With a rare half-smile on his face, he left his study and walked down the hall.

  


Once again, he heard Kagome muttering in her sleep. She sounded scared, almost terrified. Her soft voice quivered with fear. He could smell her fear and the salt of her tears that she had obviously shed as she had slept.

  


Not wanting to hear her sound so pathetically helpless and afraid, he went into her room, planning on quieting her just like before. With a gentle hand, he rubbed one of her cheeks as he whispered some soothing words in a low voice.

  


Kagome quieted as quickly as before, rolling over on her side as her mumbling ceased. A smile appeared on her face, replacing the frown. Her happy expression almost seemed to light up the room, taking Sesshoumaru completely by surprise.

  


_'She has a beautiful smile,' _he thought automatically as he slowly pulled his hand away from her. _'Too bad she doesn't smile when she's awake.'_ He immediately scolded himself for that thought and left the room, swearing that he would never think anything like that again.

  


~*~

  


Sesshoumaru, once again, woke up bright and early to the smell of breakfast cooking. If his sense of smell was correct, then Kagome was fixing bacon and eggs. He had to admit that it was kind of nice waking up to have his breakfast already prepared. It saved him time, and the good smells were a lot more pleasing than an alarm clock to wake up to.

  


With a ghost of a smile on his face, he got out of bed and quickly got ready before he headed to the kitchen. This time he was determined to keep Kagome from noticing him for as long as possible. He used his youkai magic to hide his presence so he could observe her for a little while. The last time he had caught her cooking she had been acting like any free person.

  


The inu youkai found Kagome by the stove once again, dressed in black pants and a green shirt, singing softly and adding cheese to the omelet she had cooking on the stove. She seemed to be so content and at ease in her current situation. Of course, she was still oblivious to his presence, and he knew that she would go back into slave mode the instant she realized he was there.

  


Kagome didn't notice the dog demon until she turned around, her eyes going wide in surprise. She almost dropped the plate of food that was in her hands when she bowed for forgiveness, her black hair falling about her in silky waves.

  


"I- I am sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama. I didn't sense you," she said quickly, keeping her eyes lowered.

  


"You weren't supposed to," the inu youkai responded simply. "I hid my presence from you."

  


She stared at him for a few moments, shock apparent on her face. "Why, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she inquired meekly, an incredibly small frown on her face. Once again, her master had thoroughly confused her.

  


"I wanted to watch you." He turned his attention away from her and to the food. "Why don't we have breakfast now?" The change of subject was a good one, as it put the girl a little more at ease. She seemed to be more relaxed when she had something to do.

  


A few minutes later, they were both seated at the table, quietly eating their meal. Kagome wasn't about to break the silence, so Sesshoumaru did it.

  


"Kagome, after the Naraku incident, I decided something," he began, taking a sip of coffee. He noted how she winced slightly, as if she was afraid he would do something mean to her. "I can't leave you in the house alone in case he finds a way in, so I've hired a bodyguard. Her name's Sango, and she'll be here around seven."

  


The slave girl nodded her head, understanding his reasoning perfectly. He wanted to keep others from touching one of his 'possessions'. "I understand, mi- Sesshoumaru-sama." She visibly relaxed, glad that he hadn't said he was going to let Naraku have her. Being treated as a possession was better than being abused.

  


"You are to obey her like you would me," the dog demon ordered her calmly. "And don't worry about Naraku. Sango is very good at what she does. You'll have nothing to fear with her around."

  


"As you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome responded, her eyes betraying her surprise. She hadn't been expecting him to hire someone to protect her. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Him reassuring her had surprised her as well. She couldn't understand why her new master would care whether she was scared or not. Her other masters had just laughed whenever she had shown fear.

  


'So she does have emotions,' he thought, noticing the expression in her eyes. 'And that reminds me...' He gave Kagome a serious look. "Kagome, you don't need to act like a slave anymore. I would much rather you conduct yourself like any other free person," he told her, his golden eyes staring straight into her blue- gray ones. "You can ask me questions or wander around my house if you want. I just want you to behave normally, so act like you want to act."

  


"Milord?" Kagome's blue-gray eyes were about as big as they could get, and her mouth hung open just a little. _'What in the world is wrong with him?! No one ever says things like that to a slave! Is he off his rocker?'_

  


Despite her yearning to not believe him, her heart jumped in her chest. With her magic, she could still sense that he was still a little disinterested, but she could also sense that he was sincere. He was telling the truth, at least as far as she could tell.

  


_'He's... kind. He's actually a kind master,' _Kagome thought incredulously. _'He was serious, then, when he talked about not liking slavery and how he was going to treat me like he treated free people.'_

  


Sesshoumaru mentally sighed, not really surprised by her reaction. Of course, he expected her to protest next. After all, he had just given her an order that she would find very unusual. Not one of her old masters had probably ever given her an order like that.

  


Kagome stared at her master for a few minutes, unsure of how to react. She was supposed to follow orders, she wanted to follow his orders, but she had also been told to never abandon her training. That had been her very first order, and her first master had ordered her to always follow that one command no matter what her future masters wanted her to do. So, in the end, the miko just couldn't do what the dog demon wanted.

  


"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I cannot do that." Kagome shook her head sadly, her eyes going dull once again. The girl had chosen to keep her training and disobey an order. She really hadn't wanted to disobey an order, especially that one. She was so tempted to just give in and let go of her training, if only for a little while, but she knew what would happen if she did. Naraku, her first master, would find out, and he would punish her. He could still punish her, and she knew it. It wouldn't take much for him to do it either.

  


The inu youkai frowned, slightly confused as to how she could say no to one of his orders. So far, she had always refused to disobey him. Yet now, she was being obdurate. "Why?"

  


That simple question made Kagome turn her gaze to the side. "It is forbidden."

  


"Forbidden?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. She nodded her head. "How so?"

  


"My first master set the rules, and the biggest rule he instilled into me was the rule that contradicts your order," she replied. "He said that I was forbidden break that rule. He ordered me not to break that rule."

  


"What's to stop you from breaking the rule besides your first master's orders?" He finished off the last of his breakfast, patiently waiting for an answer.

  


"The spell," she answered, voice soft.

  


"Will you experience pain if you obey the order?" the dog demon inquired, praying that she wouldn't. He had not bought her just to hurt her like her other masters had.

  


Kagome shook her head. "Not immediately, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I will eventually."

  


"How long would it take?" If he could succeed in removing the spell before the pain began, then he would work hard to convince Kagome to follow his orders. He didn't want to have to keep dealing with the girl while she was in slave mode.

  


She shrugged her shoulders. "I do not know, Sesshoumaru-sama. It won't happen until the rest of the spell is activated by the special word."

  


"Who knows the special word?" he asked, hoping that the person was on the other side of the world.

  


"My first master... Naraku." She hated saying the hanyou's name with her new master right in front of her, especially since he had reacted so violently towards the thought of Naraku being in his house.

  


Sesshoumaru growled low, the sound a mere rumbling in his chest. His anger surfaced, causing him to subconsciously bare his fangs at a mental image of Naraku. It was infuriating how all Kagome's troubles went back to the evil, dark hanyou. He had the greatest desire right then to violently wring Naraku's neck.

  


Kagome fought back the urge to squirm in her chair, her magic easily informing her of her master's anger. She couldn't sense why he was angry, or whom he was angry with, but she had felt him think about her briefly. For what reason, she didn't know. The furious look on his face worried her, making her inwardly cringe. He had never hit her in a fit of anger before, but there was a first time for everything.

  


After a few moments, the inu youkai visibly calmed down and turned his golden gaze on the slave girl. "I am going to do everything in my power to keep Naraku away from you. He will not be given an opportunity to activate the spell." He pushed away from the table and stood up. "My order still stands, an- "

  


A loud knock at the front door interrupted him. Sesshoumaru went and unlocked the front door, letting a young woman dressed in black pants and a red and yellow shirt into the house. She gave him a smile and a nod, acknowledging that she was ready to do her job.

  


"Come with me," he told the woman, leading her into the dining room. He was planning on introducing her to the slave girl.

  


Sesshoumaru wasn't surprised to find that Kagome was still sitting where he had left her, her eyes watching the doorway. The girl looked a little nervous, probably because she had seen how angry he had been. Poor thing. Very few people ever saw him that angry.

  


"Kagome, this is Sango, your bodyguard," the inu youkai informed the girl, his voice calm. He watched her carefully for any reaction at all. The only thing Kagome did was stand up and bow to Sango.

  


"Please don't bow to me," Sango said, feeling very uncomfortable. She didn't like seeing a young lady treat her like some kind of queen. It just didn't feel right.

  


The slave girl nodded her head in acknowledgment. "Yes, Sango-sama."

  


The other woman sighed. "Just plain Sango will work." She wanted to be friends with the girl, not some kind of master.

  


"As you wish... Sango," Kagome responded, fighting the urge to bow again to the other woman. She was amazed by how easy it was to slip fully back into her slave mode the instant a stranger appeared.

  


Sesshoumaru gave both girls a look, and then nodded his head. They would be fine. He could leave. "I'm heading to work now. Kagome, be good while I'm gone and obey Sango." With a very quick good-bye, he left the house, briefcase in hand.

  


Once the dog demon was gone, Sango looked at her charge. They were about the same age and both had raven hair, although the slave's was down while hers was in a ponytail. The bodyguard was a little taller, and her eyes were brown. She was also more muscular and less pale. She couldn't help but wonder if the poor slave girl ever went outside.

  


Sango's growling stomach broke through the silence of the room, startling both girls. "Do you have any food?" she inquired a little sheepishly.

  


Kagome nodded her head. "If you so desire, Sango-sama, there are some eggs and bacon still left in the kitchen."

  


"That will work just fine," Sango replied, sighing at what she had been called and following the other girl into the kitchen.

  


Once Sango had some eggs and bacon, both females went into the dining room. The bodyguard was planning on talking to Kagome and getting to know the girl a little better.

  


"How old are you, Kagome?" Sango asked simply, trying to start a conversation with the slave.

  


"I am nineteen, Sango-sama," she replied quickly, mentally sighing. She had a feeling that Sango was going to ask her questions just like Sesshoumaru had done.

  


"Nineteen, huh? That's just a year younger than me," the woman commented, smiling. "How long have you been here?"

  


"This is my third day here Sango-sama," Kagome answered.

  


"Well, maybe you can show me what there is to do around here." Sango took a bite of omelet, praying that the girl would stop adding 'sama' to the end of her name. "This is really good." She pointed at the eggs with her fork. "Who made them?"

  


"I made them this morning, Sango-sama." The slave girl kept her responses simple, knowing that that was what she was supposed to do.

  


"What else can you cook?" the bodyguard wondered, looking to girl for an answer. Kagome began to list things off until Sango interrupted her with a laugh. "You certainly are accomplished," she commented, surprised. "I think only professional chefs know how to make some of the things that you listed."

  


Kagome stared at Sango for a few moments, amazed by how friendly the girl acted around her. Her bodyguard did indeed treat her like anyone would treat a good friend.

  


"So I take it that you like to cook?" Sango asked, tilting her head slightly to one side.

  


"Um..." She had to think on that for a moment. Did she like to cook? Hmmm... good question. Truthfully, she always felt at peace when she was in the kitchen, preparing something to eat. If that feeling was considered to be the same thing as liking something, then okay, she did like to cook. "Yes, I do, Sango- sama."

  


"Miroku will probably want to try your cooking as soon as he learns that," she commented, eating a piece of bacon.

  


"Miroku?" Kagome repeated. She had never heard that name before. "Please, Sango- sama, who is Miroku?"

  


"He's a friend of mine. And since I didn't have time this morning, I asked him to pick up my sword from the Youkai Armory for me," the girl replied. "He should be bringing it by sometime today." Sango paused. "Would that bother you any?"

  


Kagome shook her head. "It will not bother me unless you wish it to bother me."

  


Sango sighed, wondering if Sesshoumaru found her as exhausting to talk to at times as well. "He'll probably be here in an hour or so." She paused for a moment, frowning slightly. "I do have to warn you, Miroku's a bit of a lecher. If he touches you in a way you don't like, smack him." Even though the slave girl showed no reaction, Sango could sense her reluctance. It only made sense, as slaves were not supposed to hit free people. "If you won't do it, I will."

  


"If that is what you wish, Sango-sama." Kagome almost melted with relief. She couldn't hit a free person, there was just no way. That went against everything that she had been taught. Her masters had never, ever permitted her to strike a non-slave. They would have thoroughly beat her for it.

  


"Listen, Kagome. I'm not your master. I don't want you to treat me like one. I'd rather be friends," Sango told the girl. "You can relax a bit. You don't have to act meek around me."

  


"Forgive me, but I can not do that Sango-sama." She shook her head to emphasize her point. _'What is with these people and tempting me like this? I knew that my new master was unusual, but are all his acquaintances like that as well?'_

  


The bodyguard chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, trying to think of a way to get the girl to understand that she was trustworthy. Surely the slave girl was only afraid that Sango would punish her. She had seen a few other slaves and how meek they usually were, but none of them were anything like Kagome. The poor slave girl had obviously been very abused.

  


Instead of insisting that the girl follow her orders, Sango decided to change the topic. "What do you do here all day?"

  


"I wake up in the morning, make breakfast, prepare lunch around noon, then wait for Sesshoumaru-sama to return from work, Sango-sama," Kagome answered, watching the other girl carefully with blue-gray eyes.

  


The bodyguard shook her head. "That's not exactly what I meant," she responded. Mentally sighing, she decided to clarify the question. "What do you do to help pass the time? You know, what do you do for fun?"

  


"I do not do anything, Sango-sama," the slave girl replied, blinking twice. She couldn't figure out why anyone would care what she did. After all, slaves were only possessions, something to be used and then thrown away.

  


"Absolutely nothing? Didn't Sesshoumaru say that you could watch TV or something?" Sango sounded surprised, her eyes a little wider than usual.

  


"Yes, Sango-sama. He told me that if I so desired I could read a book or watch television," Kagome answered immediately, curious as to why the other girl was asking.

  


"A book sounds good. Do you know where they are?" She had finished eating, and she wanted something to do. Reading a book seemed to be the best idea to her.

  


Most normal bodyguards would have been scouting around the area for the enemy, but Sango saw no reason to do that. Her ancestors had all been youkai exterminators, and she had inherited a sixth sense from them. Somehow, she always knew when there was danger present, which was what made her a great bodyguard. Of course, until her little, mental alarm went off, she really didn't have anything to do.

  


"They are downstairs in the library, Sango-sama." Kagome stood up to collect the dirty dishes. "If you so desire, I will clean up here while you visit it."

  


Sango immediately began to help the girl. "I'm sticking with you, Kagome. I do take my job seriously. As long as I'm here, we're gonna stay close together. I'm going to keep you in sight the whole time," she told the girl. "I'm not going to let Naraku get anywhere near you."

  


The girl sounded so adamant and honest, she really did, but Kagome just couldn't bring herself to believe her bodyguard. Despite that fact, she had to respect her master's wishes. "As you wish."

  


Sango nodded her head. "Now, let's see about these dishes."

  



	7. Chapter 7

Miroku walked into the Youkai Armory, his mind on nothing but business... and Sango, of course. He whistled a happy tune as he meandered about the store, glancing through a window at the forge area that was located behind the building. With a large grin on his face, he strolled up to the front counter, leaning up against it when he got there. 

  


"What do you want, Miroku?" Inuyasha demanded to know in his normal, rude tone.

  


"I'm here to pick up lady Sango's sword. I believe that she's already paid for the repairs," the electrician replied, letting the rude response just roll off of him. He never allowed the hanyou's bad attitude to bother him at all. Besides, he knew that Inuyasha didn't mean to offend anyone. It was just part of his nature.

  


The hanyou checked the store computer. "Yep. It's all paid for." He left then returned a moment later, a sheathed sword in his hands. He handed it to his lecherous friend. "Do you know why she conned you into getting it, instead of coming for it herself?"

  


"She started a new job today," Miroku answered, pulling the sword out of its sheath so he could look at it. The blade looked like it had never been broken or even used. "She had to be there at seven, and she really didn't want to go the whole day without it, so I offered to pick it up and drop it off at the place she's working at."

  


Scratching one of his dog-ears, he pointed at the sword. "You should put that up. First off, you know that my shop does the job right the first time. Second, you don't know how to use one, and I don't feel like getting my head chopped off."

  


The one-time monk sheathed the blade. "Thank you so much for your vote of confidence. I shall have to remember how supportive you are of me." He didn't know how to fight with a sword, but he was very adept at the staff.

  


"Anytime," the hanyou replied simply. "So, who's Sango workin' for?"

  


Miroku thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I really don't remember. The address is in my car, so I didn't memorize it." He paused for a moment. "Though, I do recall that whoever hired her is very rich. The house is located in the fanciest section of town."

  


"She's probably getting paid really good then," Inuyasha commented, but then he decided to change the subject. "How are you and Sango doing?"

  


The raven-haired man shrugged. "She keeps telling me no."

  


Inuyasha groaned. "Then don't ask her to bear your son!" he snapped. "Ask her out on a date or something."

  


Miroku brightened. "That's a good idea." He smiled happily. "Thanks again, Inuyasha!" Then, taking the sword with him, the ex-monk left the Youkai Armory.

  


~*~

  


Miroku pulled his car into the driveway of the huge mansion, whistling in appreciation as he did. Whoever the owner was certainly had good taste in real estate. The grounds and the actual building were magnificent. The mansion had been done in the Victorian style with balconies on the second floor.

  


Very curious as to who owned the house, he grabbed Sango's sword and walked up to the front door, knocking once he got there. No one answered the door for a few moments, making him wonder if he had the right house. Right when he was about to double-check the address Sango had given him, he heard footsteps coming from inside.

  


"Who's there?" a familiar voice asked from the other side of the door.

  


"Lady Sango dearest, it's me, Miroku," he replied cheerfully.

  


There was a pause. "Prove it."

  


He sighed. She never was one to take chances, and even if he looked like Miroku, he could still be a shape-shifter. "Lady Sango, will you please do me the honor of bearing my son?"

  


The door opened to reveal Sango standing there. "C'mon in, Miroku. I assume that you brought my sword?" She looked at him hopefully. She felt a little naked without her weapon. True, she did have her throwing knives, but nothing made her feel safer than having her sword strapped to her side.

  


"Of course I did, Lady Sango," he replied politely, smiling and handing it to her. Right then, his eyes landed on another female, a very beautiful female. "And may I ask who you are, lovely lady?" He took her hand and kissed it, flashing her his best smile.

  


"My master calls me Kagome, Miroku-sama," the slave girl replied, sounding like she wasn't surprised in the least bit. She had certainly met stranger people. The flirtatious man seemed quite harmless as well, something she was thankful for.

  


"Miroku..." Sango said, her tone warning him not to do anything more. "That is the one I'm protecting, so don't you dare grope her."

  


The electrician feigned hurt, releasing Kagome's hand. "My dear Lady Sango, how can you think such a thing of me? I would never do anything like that to such a lovely girl."

  


The bodyguard rolled her eyes. "I hope you know that Sesshoumaru will maim you if he finds out you touched her."

  


His eyes went wide. "Sesshoumaru? She's the slave that he bought?" he exclaimed, amazed. "So this is the girl that Inuyasha claims looks like Kikyou." It was more of a statement than a question. "I can see why he wanted to buy her. She's quite lovely. Not as beautiful as you, of course, but still lovely." His hand began to reach for a spot that was (in Sango's opinion) a little too far down Kagome's backside.

  


Scowling, she banged the lecherous man over the head with her sheathed sword. "I told you no," she snapped. "You should know better by now, Miroku." She hoped the hit on the head and the glare she was giving him was enough to chastise him so he would never try to touch Kagome again. There was no way she was going to allow him to molest her charge.

  


"Forgive me, Lady Sango, but I just can not seem to help myself." The apology was sincere, but the bodyguard took note of the fact that he did not promise to never do that again. The man enjoyed groping women too much for his own good.

  


"Houshi," Sango said, using the man's last name to emphasize her annoyance with him. "Perhaps you'd better leave now. I'm on duty, and you probably need to get to your store in the mall."

  


Miroku nodded his head in agreement. "I do need to do that, Lady Sango." He bowed to her. "I leave you with the promise that I will return to see you once again." Smiling lecherously, he let himself out of the house.

  


Sango sighed, shaking her head as she redid the locks on the door. "That man. He can be so aggravating sometimes." She turned to look at Kagome. "He really doesn't mean any harm, and he would never hurt a woman, but at times he does have a habit of touching females in places he shouldn't." She gave another sigh. "He is nice and very polite most of the time, though."

  


Kagome just watched the other girl as she went on talking about the man who had just left. _'She must like him. She spends half of her time condemning him and the other half defending him.'_ She almost smiled as she followed the other girl back to the library, but she caught herself just in time. After all, it wouldn't do her any good to show some emotion, now, would it?

  


~*~ 

  


The rest of the day was boring. Nothing happened, which both Sango and Kagome were thankful for. Naraku didn't show up, Miroku didn't return, and there were no other visitors of any kind. When Sesshoumaru returned home, Sango gave him a quick, verbal report, then left, promising to be back the next day.

  


The next two weeks were almost exactly the same, except Kagome changed a little. She opened up to Sango, surprising both herself and the other girl. The thing was, the slave just couldn't help herself. Her bodyguard acted like a protective older sister and friend, someone to trust and look up to. By the end of the first week, Sango had Kagome reading some books; and by the end of the second, she had the slave girl talking more than usual and cautiously giving her opinion on certain subjects.

  


Sesshoumaru was impressed by the progress Sango had made with Kagome, but he rarely got to see it. The instant he returned home, the young girl almost immediately clamed up and went straight into slave mode. He found that fact annoying, but the bodyguard assured him that the slave girl only needed time.

  


Time was something that Sesshoumaru had plenty of. Shippou still hadn't found anything about removing the spell, but he had told the dog demon how to make the girl a free citizen. All he had to do was pay a small fee at the courthouse to have her status changed. Simple, yet it made sense to him.

  


There was one thing about Kagome that made him worry. Her nightmares never faded, and every night he heard her calling out for her parents and the person named Souta. Whatever had happened to her in the past had been bad, so bad that she was still having nightmares because of it. Whenever he confronted her with it though, Kagome would just avoid the subject and give elusive answers at best. It didn't help that she did not seem to remember her nightmares, and the only thing she could recall was the feeling of sadness.

  


So, curious as he could get, the inu youkai had given Shippou another assignment on top of the one he already had. He had told the kitsune to find out as much about her past as he possibly could. The fox demon was to leave nothing out at all, no matter how insignificant or pathetic it seemed.

  


At the end of the two weeks, although there hadn't been much of a mental change, there had been a good physical change in Kagome. Her form had filled out very nicely, making her clothes unfit for wearing. Only one shirt and one skirt still fit the girl, so Sesshoumaru had decided to take the girl shopping again. Of course, before taking the second trip to the mall, he had thought it all out carefully, and he had invited Sango along, knowing that the bodyguard would have a positive effect on Kagome. He was hoping that the slave girl would relax with Sango there, and he was right.

  


At the mall, Sango enthusiastically helped Kagome pick out clothes as she constantly asked the slave's opinion on everything. The bodyguard never gave up, and she insisted on knowing what the other girl thought. Soon, Kagome was very carefully and cautiously telling Sango what she thought of different things, but every single one of her words was forced out of her.

  


At the end of a few hours, Sango had a few new additions to her wardrobe that she had happily paid for, while Kagome had more new clothing items than she new what to do with. Sesshoumaru was spoiling her, and she didn't even know why. All the things he had bought her were in good taste and expensive.

  


She wasn't about to argue though. Of course, she couldn't argue, as her training would not allow it. Still though, she was thankful; but she would be even more thankful once she was at the house and away from all the people at the mall.

  


When both the inu youkai and the slave girl were once again at home alone, Sesshoumaru decided to try and get her to act like a free person again. He had treated her just like he treated everyone else for two solid weeks, and he just knew that it had to have had some kind of affect on Kagome. Surely she trusted him after he had showed just how honorable he was.

  


He broached the subject at dinner that night, making sure that she was paying full attention to him when he began to speak.

  


"Kagome, do you remember when I ordered you to act like a free person?" he asked, watching the girl for any emotion as she nodded her head. Her face remained blank. "That order still stands."

  


"I know, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I can not follow your wishes. It is forbidden," she replied, a very small amount of remorse in her voice. The amount was so small that the inu youkai could just barely picked up on it.

  


_'She does want to obey me then, but she obviously believes that she can't.' _He mentally sighed. "If I pay to have your status changed, if you become a free person, will you obey my order then?"

  


He really, really hoped that she would reply with a yes. Somehow, during the past two weeks, he had actually started to like the girl. She had a beautiful voice, a stubbornness to her that was often revealed in her desire to always obey her training, a lovely scent, and the most perfect body he had ever seen.

  


Kagome thought on that for a few minutes then she very slowly nodded her head. "Yes, Sesshoumaru- sama, I will."

  



	8. Chapter 8

Sesshoumaru allowed himself a mental smirk. He had finally found a way to get the girl to act normal. So what if it meant freeing her before his brother stopped wanting her? It wasn't like he couldn't convince Kagome to stay away from Inuyasha and remain near him. Besides, he still had the spell problem to take care of.

  


"Very well, Kagome," the inu youkai said, feeling rather pleased with himself. "On Monday I will take you to the court house and pay to have your status changed."

  


She was so happy she nearly leapt for joy. Her heart felt like it was going to burst, and she almost smiled at her master. _'Free... I'm going to be free, and once that happens, the other word that Naraku has won't matter. Even if he does activate it, the spell won't work because I won't be required to obey my training.'_

  


Suddenly, her mind did a double-take. _'Wait a minute... what if he's lying?' _Kagome thought, making sure to hide her emotions from her master as her mind scolded her. _'I have been tricked before, so what's to say that it won't happen again? All I have is his word on it. Though, he has been nice to me. He claims that he's honorable, which he has proven over and over, but he could still be trying to trick me. For all I know, he could be worse than all my other masters. He could still be toying with me.'_

  


Sesshoumaru knew something was wrong when her eyes went from the childish look of joy to the dull orbs that she had when she was deep in slave mode. She had been so happy before, but now she was hiding her emotions from him, and he knew it. Also, he had a pretty good idea what the problem was, but there was nothing he could do about it. More likely than not, she didn't trust him and nothing he could say or do at that moment would change that. He would just have to wait for Monday to prove her doubts wrong.

  


~*~

  


Monday came around quickly enough, and Kagome was on edge. She was nervous, although she hid it perfectly. Doubts plagued her, despite the fact that she knew that her master was honorable. Everything just seemed to good to be true.

  


The strangest part was that her master was taking her to work with him. He had promised that, as soon as they left the office, he would take her to the courthouse to get her status changed. Also, he had said that she would be bored at his work, but he had sworn to keep an eye on her while she was there. He had even accepted her offer of help with his paperwork.

  


On the way to Sesshoumaru's work place, Kagome kept looking around at everything, just barely hiding her nervousness. She was going to be free... something she hadn't even dared dream of in years; and it was an inu youkai who was going to make it happen. A youkai was setting her free, all because he wanted her to act normal.

  


When they finally arrived at the building, Kagome followed Sesshoumaru very closely. She didn't trust all the other people who were scurrying around, trying to get work done. Some of the people had lab coats on, while others dressed normally. All showed great respect to her master. It didn't take her very long to figure out that her master was the head and owner of the company, which used the building they were in.

  


"There is my office, Kagome," Sesshoumaru informed her, pointing to a door. "I have a few things to take care of elsewhere, so you can wait in there for me to return."

  


"As you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome replied, leaving his side and going into the room he had gestured to.

  


She found the office to be spacious and well organized, a reflection of his home. A large oak desk sat on one end of the room, a computer and lamp on it, a large chair behind it. Another chair sat in front of the desk. Steel file cabinets lined one wall, each drawer meticulously labeled. On the other side of the room was a flat screen TV, which was turned off at the moment. The walls were white with a few painting decorating it, and the carpet was a plush, rich, burgundy color.

  


Allowing herself a small sigh, she went over to the desk and sat down in the chair that was in front of it. The chair was comfy, thankfully, because she had a feeling that she would be spending most of her day in that piece of furniture.

  


After half an hour or so, the sound of the door opening made Kagome perk up a little. Her master was back, and hopefully he would let her do something. She turned around to look at him, but the person who had entered the room was not her master.

  


She blinked once, standing up out of respect for the newcomer. She had no idea who the person was, but if he was a customer or worker of her master, then she didn't want to insult the individual. Her master would not be happy if she angered someone important.

  


The person who had just walked into the room gave Kagome a pleased look. "Good morning," he greeted her, flashing her a smile, showing off even white teeth that contrasted nicely against his tanned skin. Long black hair was pulled back into a high pony tail. Blue eyes studied the slave girl from under black eyebrows. He was tall, lean, and muscular; and he was dressed in a blue silk shirt and nice blank pants. His ears were pointed, and a dark brown tail swayed back and forth behind him.

  


"Good morning," Kagome responded, knowing that it was the polite thing to do. Truthfully, she wanted to go run to her master, but she knew that was impossible. She had no idea where her master was, and she greatly doubted her ability to find him in the huge building.

  


"Do you know where Sesshoumaru is?" he asked curiously, his tone friendly. His smile didn't fade for even one moment.

  


She shook her head. "Forgive me, sir, but I don't know where Sesshoumaru-sama is," she answered, keeping her tone and expression neutral.

  


"Would you mind if I waited here for him? I need to talk to him for a while about something," he said, moving away from the door. "The subject, curiously enough, is you."

  


Kagome gave the man her best blank look, but her mind was going at a million miles an hour. _'He wants to talk to Sesshoumaru-sama about me... that can't be good. I don't like the way he's looking at me either. His eyes are saying that he owns me. The guy obviously wants to buy me, and as he came here the same day I did...' _She mentally gasped and nearly smacked herself for her stupidity. _'My master's going to sell me! He lied! He said he was going to free me, but he lied! Why else would this guy be here now and look at me the way he's doing?'_

  


"I will not mind if you wait here, sir," Kagome said in response to his question, bowing to him. If he was possibly going to be her new master, then she needed to be polite. "Is there anything I can do for you while you wait?"

  


Nodding his head, he took the chair that she had vacated and sat in it. "Yes, you can tell me your name," he stated, smirking up at her. He was enjoying being in her presence. The slave girl was just so beautiful, and she looked even better than the last time he had seen her. There was a healthier glow to her skin, and her form had filled out quite nicely.

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama calls me Kagome, sir." She carefully watched the demon male, curious as to why he even cared what her name was. What was with all the people she had met lately? Did none of them know how to treat a slave? Was there something in the water or air to cause such a strange attitude in so many people?

  


"Kagome... that's a very pretty name. It suits you nicely," he commented sweetly, savoring the tast of her name on his tongue. "I'm Kouga, by the way."

  


She was about to reply with some kind of polite phrase when someone else opened the door and entered the office.

  


"Kagome, wha-" Sesshoumaru looked up from the folder he had been studying rather intensely and stopped speaking in mid-sentence. He noticed Kouga and immediately began to growl, his golden eyes flashing dangerously.

  


Kouga turned away from Kagome to look at the dog demon. His smile fell for a brief moment, but he quickly forced it back. "Good morning, Sesshoumaru," he greeted the inu youkai cheerfully, no fear in his voice.

  


"What are you doing here, wolf demon?" He didn't quite care for the wolf youkai, who was known for his absurdly stubborn nature. Kouga always got what he wanted, and since he obviously wanted Kagome...

  


His growling became even louder. It would be a cold night in hell when he actually let Kouga have Kagome.

  


"I wanted to talk to you about my woman," he replied, making it perfectly clear that he thought that Kagome was already his. "You've had two weeks with Kagome, and I can smell that you haven't done anything with her recently, so I can assume that you're bored with her. I'll be more than happy to take her off your hands." He gave Kagome a charming smile. "I promise that I'll take good care of her, Sesshoumaru. She'll want for nothing."

  


"She's not for sale," the dog demon snapped irritably. _'How dare he assume that I don't want to keep her! I should have him thrown out of here right now.' _He was so annoyed that he even began to contemplate tossing the demon out the doors himself... that, or killing the annoying kisama.

  


What was worse was that Kagome had fully withdrawn into slave mode. _'She probably thought that I was actually going to sell her. even after I said that I was going to free her! Kouga is going to pay for doing that to her.'_

  


"Not for sale?" Kouga repeated, raising an eyebrow. Although sometimes the price could be a bit high, everything, including slaves, was for sale. Kagome was a slave. Slaves were possessions. Possessions were for sale. Thus, Kagome was supposed to be for sale.

  


"Exactly. I will not sell her... ever!" Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red for a moment, warning the other demon of just how angry he was.

  


Kagome stared at her master, amazed by what he had said and his tone of voice. _'He isn't going to sell me? Kouga isn't going to become my new master? Sesshoumaru-sama didn't lie to me?' _Her eyes went wide and full of hope for a moment before her training rose back up and squashed the feeling.

  


"Now, Kouga, I suggest that you get out of here right now," the dog demon said, glaring at the other youkai. He wanted the wolf demon gone. "And if I ever hear you call Kagome your woman again..." He let the threat hang in the air.

  


The wolf demon took the hint, understanding that he was far from welcome in the taiyoukai's office at that moment. With one last look at Kagome, he left the place, leaving a trail of dust as he went.

  


"He's fast," Kagome whispered very softly under her breath. She had never seen anyone run that fast, and she had seen some pretty fast demons.

  


"Kagome," Sesshoumaru began, his tone normal again. "What did he say to make you doubt me?"

  


She took a deep breath and bowed her head. "Milord, he said that he wanted to talk to you about me, and he looked at me so possessively... like I was already his. I couldn't help but think that there was no coincidence about the both of us coming to your work on the same day. He... he acted like you had already agreed to sell me," she explained, somehow managing to keep her voice devoid of any emotion. It was hard to do that, especially since all she wanted to do was curl up in a little ball and hide from the confusing world. Crying did not sound too bad either.

  


_'That's what she thought? She thought that I had lied to her?' _Sesshoumaru mentally shook his head. "I did not bring you here to sell you to that annoying kisama. I brought you here so I could free you after I finish my work," he told her, his voice firm. "I do not go back on my word. Perhaps you understand this now?"

  


Kagome dully nodded her head, actually feeling ashamed of herself. _'When was the last time I felt like this?'_ she silently mused. _'I've never felt bad for doubting any of my masters before.'_ "I understand perfectly, milord. Please forgive me for my lack of trust in you." She bowed deeply to him, knowing that she deserved punishment for displeasing him so much.

  


Sesshoumaru sighed. "Enough with the 'milord', and you don't need to bow," he informed her. "I am not angry at you."

  


"As you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama." The slave girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, still feeling a little guilty. When she realized what she was doing, she halted her actions immediately. She knew better than to show her feelings so openly, particularly around her master.

  


"Now, I have some papers to go through." He went over to his desk and set the folder down on the flat surface. "Would you like to help me?"

  


She responded instantly by nodded her head. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." She wanted to do something constructive as well as make up for not trusting him. _'Strange. I've never wanted to actually make up for something I've done... well, at least I haven't in nine years.'_

  


Giving her a very small smile, Sesshoumaru began to explain what he wanted her to do.

  


~*~

  


Kagome stared up at the enormous, brick building, her body going slightly numb in awe. A long flight of concrete steps led up to steel doors. She was finally there at the courthouse. Soon, just like Sesshoumaru had promised, she would be free.

  


"Follow me, Kagome," the inu youkai ordered the slave girl, looking back over his shoulder just long enough to see that she was obeying, which she was.

  


She was half-tempted to skip down the hallway as she followed her master, happier than she had been in nine years. _'I'm gonna be free. I'm gonna be free!' _Her happiness level came crashing down when a depressing thought hit her. _'What am I going to do once I'm free? Where am I going to stay?'_

  


With a sinking heart, she walked into an office with her master. She sat in a chair the inu youkai gestured to, her expression neutral. A feeling that her greatest desire was going to be her greatest curse haunted her thoughts.

  


"Jaken, I have a legal matter for you to take care of," Sesshoumaru announced to the toad demon in the office as he took a seat near Kagome. The toad demon was an old servant of his. Jaken had faithfully worked for Sesshoumaru's father Inutaisho for many, many years.

  


"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama. What do you need me to do?" Jaken asked, giving the dog demon his full attention. He respected the inu youkai completely, and he always did his best to help him in any way possible.

  


"I want to pay to have Kagome's status changed to a free citizen," the inu youkai replied, bestowing the other demon with a look that killed all possible arguments before Jaken could even voice them. No one argued with Sesshoumaru when he looked at them like THAT.

  


Stifling what he wanted to say, the toad demon entered some information into the computer. A moment later, he printed off some papers and gave them to Sesshoumaru. "Here's the fee for freeing her, and these are the forms you need to sign."

  


Slightly scowling in annoyance, he signed the papers and filled out a check for five hundred dollars. He hadn't planned on spending so much money to free her, but it was worth it in his eyes. Any price was worth spiting his half-brother and getting the girl to act normal.

  


As he finished signing the last paper, a thought struck him. _'Kagome can leave now any time she wants. She is no longer bound to me. If he wants to go with Inuyasha or Kouga, she can. I can't stop her from doing anything.' _The thought of her leaving thoroughly depressed him, but he didn't quite know why. It just didn't make any sense.

  


"That's it, Sesshoumaru-sama. She's now free," Jaken said, taking the papers and putting them away in some metal file cabinets.

  


"We'll be leaving then," the dog demon stated as he stood up. Kagome followed his example, much to his delight. He had half-expected her to leave him right then and there.

  


Once outside the building, Sesshoumaru stopped at the bottom of the steps. He had to ask her what she wanted to do before his curiosity ate him up from the inside.

  


"Kagome, you don't have to return to my house with me if you don't want to," he told her, tone serious. "If you do wish to do that, I'll get you a job somewhere in my company until you can get your feet off the ground." He paused." Of course, you can return with me if you want."

  


The girl nervously shifted her weight from foot to foot, her eyes on the ground. "Please, Sesshoumaru- sama, may I continue to stay with you for a while? I can do work around the house to earn my keep." She gave him a shy, pleading look that tugged on his heart strings.

  


He nodded his head, a smile threatening to break his mask of indifference that he almost always wore. "Yes, you may stay, but you don't have to work. You will be my guest."

  


"But, Sesshoum-" she began to protest, but she automatically cut herself off without any incentive from the dog demon. Old habits were really hard to break.

  


The inu youkai raised an eyebrow at her. "Aren't you going to finish your argument?"

  


She shook her head. "No, I-" She shut up quickly once again, unsure of what she should say. Just because she was free didn't mean she could go and tell off her host. On the other hand, she had promised him that she would act normal once she was freed. The big question was, what was normal for her? It had been nine years since she had acted how she had wanted to.

  


Sesshoumaru almost chuckled at her obvious confusion. _'Poor girl. She doesn't quite know what to do.'_

  


"Kagome, you may argue with me now. You are a free person, after all."

  


She thought on that for a brief moment, and then she gave him a small, cautious smile. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama, for freeing me. I will try to keep my promise to you."

  


He nodded in acknowledgment. "You're welcome." Then, he gestured towards his car. "Shall we go home now?" 

  


"Yes," Kagome answered instantly. _'Home... I have a home...' _With a true, honest smile, she got into the car with Sesshoumaru, completely happy for the first time in nine years. 


	9. Chapter 9

"So, Shippou, do you have any news for me?" Sesshoumaru asked as he settled down into his favorite chair. He had just finished supper when Shippou had appeared on his doorstep. The fox demon had come to pay him a personal visit about what he had found out.

  


"Yep. I've got plenty of information about Kagome's past, but I still can't find anything about that darn spell, and Lady Kaede is still out of town," Shippou answered, handing the inu youkai a folder with about five sheets of paper in it. He was a little less than six foot, with red hair and blue eyes. A long, bushy tail swished back and forth behind him, mirroring his displeasure at failing. "That file basically contains everything that happened to her before and after she became a slave. I haven't found really anything on the time she became a slave. It's like that part of her life faded away or something."

  


The dog demon skimmed over the information quickly, absorbing as much as he could at that moment. "So, you know nothing about what happened when she was ten?"

  


The kitsune looked thoughtful for a moment, his bushy tail twitching back and forth. "Well, I did find out that her family died in the same month she was made a slave, but that's nothing big or unusual," he replied, blue eyes staring off into the distance. "From what I've discovered, that's actually normal."

  


Sesshoumaru sighed. "Did you find out anything specific that might give her nightmares? Every night she calls out for her family, but in the morning, she can't remember anything but a feeling of sadness."

  


Shippou shook his head. "She led a pretty good life before her family died, and afterwards, there's just not much information. About the only thing I can find about the last nine years is a list of her previous owners." He gave his employer an apologetic look. "No one keeps good records on slaves."

  


"I guessed that this would happen," the inu youkai responded, setting aside the folder. "It might help if I knew who made her a slave."

  


"I couldn't find that out at all. Her first master was a guy named Naraku, though," the kitsune informed him. "Oh, and before you read the list of her owners that's on the back of the last page, make sure that you're in a place far away from any breakables. I would suggest that you read it out in the middle of the forest."

  


"Dare I ask why?" Sesshoumaru looked down at the closed folder, his mind trying to figure out what would get Shippou to say something like that.

  


The fox demon fidgeted for a brief moment. "I just have a feeling that you won't like what you read."

  


"I already know that she's had 36 other masters," the dog demon told the youkai, the tip of his white tail flicking back and forth. "So that will not surprise or anger me."

  


"That is only part of the reason." Shippou grimaced slightly. "But that's all I'm gonna tell you."

  


Sesshoumaru nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Very well."

  


"Now, would I be allowed to see the girl?" the kitsune asked curiously, his blue eyes sparkling. "I would very much like to meet her."

  


"Why?" the inu youkai inquired, not sure whether he wanted to let Shippou meet Kagome or not. For some reason, he was torn in two pieces over the decision. Part of him wanted to keep Kagome to himself, while the other part wanted to show her off a little.

  


"She puts up with you, doesn't she? Somehow, she's survived life with you for over two weeks," the younger youkai explained playfully. "She's gotta be a goddess or something."

  


Sesshoumaru glared at the kitsune, unhappy with the answer. He didn't like being insulted, especially in his own house. On his territory, he ruled supreme, and no little fox demon was going to insult him as long as he was in his lands.

  


"Hey! I was only joking," Shippou protested in his defense, easily recognizing the angry look. "Lighten up some, Sesshoumaru. It won't kill you."

  


The inu youkai was about to reply when a female walked into the living room. "Sesshoumaru-sama, would you like some tea?" she asked politely, her voice soft and mellow. "I just finished making some."

  


"Yes, Kagome, I would," Sesshoumaru replied instantly, his mood calming at the sound of her soothing voice. Somehow, she had pitched it just right to get him to release his anger. Absolutely amazing. He made a mental note to ask her just what else she knew how to do.

  


"Would Sesshoumaru-sama's guest like some tea as well?" She looked at the kitsune, bowing her head slightly in respect.

  


Shippou was started for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Ummm... sure. Thanks."

  


"I will be back in a few moments with your tea." With a small bow, she left the room.

  


The fox demon stared at the place where she had just been. "Doesn't have much spunk to her, does she?"

  


"She's trying to fight her slave training," Sesshoumaru answered. "And I don't think that she's winning. I freed her a few hours ago, yet she still acts like she used to."

  


"Well, perhaps you need to try a different approach," Shippou suggested. "I have a feeling that you've been trying to reach her yourself?"

  


He nodded. "Yes, and she acts the most slave-like around me. With Sango, she's a little better, but not much."

  


"She might need more time, if anything, but you could try using a child to help," he said. "When I was little and my mother wanted to get my dad to talk, she would always send me in. Dad opened up almost instantly every single time." The fox demon shrugged. "It's usually hard for people to act tense around children."

  


Sesshoumaru considered that idea for a few moments, his brain furiously working hard to examine it from all possible angles. "Your recommendation has some merit. Perhaps I will convince Sango to bring Rin tomorrow."

  


At that moment, Kagome reentered the room, a tray with three cups in her hands. Somehow, she kept the tray level as she handed both of the youkai a cup. Bowing her head for a moment, she moved to leave once again.

  


"Kagome, why don't you stay out here with us?" Shippou asked, pointing to a chair that was next to Sesshoumaru. "I would certainly enjoy your company."

  


"As you wish, sir," she replied, sitting in the chair that the kitsune had gestured to.

  


The inu youkai sighed. "Kagome, what have we talked about?" he inquired, his tone strict, like that of a teacher's.

  


The girl blinked, but she quickly answered him. "We have talked about how I am supposed to act like a normal person, Sesshoumaru-sama" she responded, taking a small sip of her tea.

  


He nodded. "And that means you need to stop doing everything myself or someone else says just because we say it," he said, giving her a stern look. "You don't always have to obey me."

  


"I remember, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome set her cup of tea down on the end table. "And I am trying... really I am, Sesshoumaru-sama."

  


"I think that he wants you to argue with him some, Kagome," Shippou said, chuckling.

  


She looked confused. "Why would I argue with him? I have nothing to argue with him about."

  


"Argue about anything and everything," the fox demon answered, smiling mischievously. "It might do him -as well as you- some good."

  


Sesshoumaru glared at the kitsune for a moment, not liking that suggestion at all. He did not want Kagome arguing with him over everything. He just wanted her to act normal.

  


Shippou finished off his tea in a few gulps. "Well, I think that I'm gonna leave now. I'll keep trying to get a hold of Lady Kaede." He stood up and set his cup down on the coffee table. "I'll inform you the instant I find out anything."

  


The dog demon nodded in farewell as the fox demon said a quick good-bye. "Well, Kagome, I hope to see you soon. Bye!" Shippou told her brightly, smiling at her like there was no tomorrow.

  


With that said, the kitsune went out the door and was soon out of sight.

  


Kagome just sat there for a few moments, a little surprised by the friendly little fox demon. "Sesshoumaru- sama...?" She looked over at him, unsure of whether she should voice her question or not.

  


The inu youkai easily understood what she wanted to ask. "Shippou came over to give me some information. He's trying to find a way to get that spell removed."

  


Her eyes widened. "Has he succeeded yet, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She wanted that spell removed so badly, even though it magically caused her happiness. That thing had mentally caused her so much pain. Every time she gained a new master, she looked back on everything she had done with her old one and cringed.

  


Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. The one person who might know can not be found at the moment," he replied, his tone slightly apologetic. "Don't worry though. I will make sure that the spell is removed as soon as possible."

  


Kagome looked down at her teacup, her eyes slightly unfocused. She was slightly confused again. Sesshoumaru was being so kind to her, and he seemed to ask no payment in return. It just didn't make sense. _'Why is he like this? Why is he so different?'_ Her mind just couldn't come up with an answer, so she gathered up all of her courage.

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama... why are you so different from the rest of them?" she asked, looking up at him. "Why? I don't understand."

  


"Different from whom, Kagome?" the dog demon inquired, unsure of what she was asking.

  


"From everyone else. You're not like anyone else I've ever met," she told him, picking up her tea and taking a small sip.

  


The inu youkai had to think on that for a moment. _'She wants to know why I'm different from everyone else. I'm really not sure how to respond. I don't even think that there is an answer.'_

  


Finally, he came up with a response. "I just am."

  


"Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama, but that really didn't answer my question," Kagome said, voice soft. She didn't speak for another minute or so, but she eventually did ask a question in a meek tone. "Could you maybe... elaborate a little?"

  


"No," Sesshoumaru replied instantly in a cool voice, finishing off the last of his tea.

  


"Well, you're certainly a lot of help," she grumbled under her breath. It only took her a split second to realize what she had said, her hands immediately coming up to cover her offending mouth. "Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama."

  


The dog demon shook his head. "You're not a slave any more. I do expect you to complain about my attitude and not apologize every time," he told her firmly. _'This meekness has got to go. It's annoying, and I know that's not how she wants to act.'_

  


"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome nodded her head in acknowledgment.

  


He mentally groaned in annoyance at that, but he kept his face calm and emotionless. He did not want the girl to think that he was angry even in the slightest with her. If she did, then she would probably go deep into slave mode to try and appease him, and that would just make things worse.

  


"Kagome." That one word was a small warning, a reminder of what she was and was not supposed to do.

  


"Would you like some more tea, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome asked, changing the subject effectively. "Your cup is empty."

  


The inu youkai knew exactly what the girl was doing. It was not hard to figure out. She was, for some reason, avoiding the subject of her acting like a normal person. _'Not good,' _Sesshoumaru thought. _'She needs to stop fighting that inner battle and just let her normal self win.'_

  


"I'll go get the tea pot," she offered before he could answer, standing up and leaving the room.

  


Kagome knew that she was trying to avoid the topic, but she really did not care. _'I'm trying. Isn't that enough?' _she silently asked herself as she took the tea pot off of the kitchen counter and started back towards the living room. _'I understand that Sesshoumaru-sama wants me to act like a free person, but it is hard. I've acted like a slave for almost half of my life. I can't just chuck everything I once lived by out the window. Things just don't work like that... no matter how much I want them to.'_

  


She mentally sighed when she reentered the room, pouring her old master some tea. "Is there anything else you would like, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

  


He shook his head. "No. I'm fine for the mo-" A pounding on the front door cut the inu youkai off. Someone either had urgent business with him or was just plain rude. The rude idea seemed more likely because the banging did not stop.

  


Growling so softly that the nervous Kagome couldn't hear it, Sesshoumaru got up out of his chair and walked to his door. With a emotionless face, he answered the door, unsure of who would be bothering him after supper. 

  


"Sesshoumaru," a person growled dangerously as soon as the door was opened. "I've come to take Kagome away from here, so hand her over."


	10. Chapter 10

Sesshoumaru glared at his visitor, not liking the man's tone or reason for visiting at all. There was no way he was going to hand Kagome over to some little hanyou. It just wasn't going to happen. Besides, he couldn't give her to the hanyou. 

  


"No," the inu taiyoukai told the half demon. "Kagome is free now, so-"

  


"Damn it, Sesshoumaru, I already know that 'cause Myouga told me!" the hanyou snapped back. "That's why I'm here, to get Kagome away from you since she is now free to leave."

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome walked up to stand beside the inu youkai, curious and nervous at the same time. Whoever was at the door had a nasty temper, and he obviously wanted to take her from the pure- blooded inu youkai.

  


The visiting male was shorter than Sesshoumaru, but taller than her, with silvery-white hair and golden eyes. Dog ears twitched from their spot on top of his head, and he was dressed in a red shirt and pants in the old Japanese style. He had a sword at his side, and one clawed hand was already on the hilt, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

  


"Kikyou," Inuyasha whispered so softly that only Sesshoumaru could just barely hear it. He automatically loosened his hold on his sword, and a gentler look entered his eyes. "Please, sir, may I ask who you are?" Kagome asked politely, her voice pitched to help calm down both demons.

  


The hanyou blinked, feeling very surprised. He hadn't expected the girl to address him. She had been a slave, after all. "Inuyasha," he replied after a moment. "And I've come here to free you from my bastard half-brother."

  


"Why?" Kagome wasn't sure if she liked the idea of leaving Sesshoumaru. The full dog demon was nice to her, and he treated her fairly. He had helped her out after 36 other people had refused to do so. He was, in a way, her savior, and she trusted him completely.

  


_'I won't go with him,' _ she decided. _'I want to stay here with Sesshoumaru-sama, not leave with this new guy Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru-sama is obviously nicer... maybe not as emotional, but kinder. He never looks like he's about to draw his sword on a family member, unlike Inuyasha.'_

  


"Why would you want to stay?" he countered. "I know my bother. He's not known for his hospitality or kind nature."

  


An urge to slap the man quickly rising, Kagome ignored the insult to Sesshoumaru. Her anger was giving her the courage to act more like a free person and less like a slave. "I want to stay here," she answered instantly and honestly. "I trust Sesshoumaru-sama."

  


Inuyasha's jaw dropped for a very brief moment. "Listen to me. He's not exactly trustworthy. He's spent years trying to get my sword that I inherited from my father." He paused to let that sink in. "What kind of a brother tries to take something from one of his siblings?"

  


The girl stared for a moment, debating how to answer. "Inuyasha-sama, I have never seen Sesshoumaru- sama do that, therefore I cannot judge him based on your accusation," she finally told him, not really liking how he was accusing her old master.

  


The pure-blooded inu youkai smirked, pleased with how Kagome was defending him. "One can hardly call trying to buy the sword from you a wrongful attempt to take it."

  


The hanyou growled, displeased with how the tables were being turned on him. "Never mind that. I've come here to save Kagome, not debate with you!" Inuyasha snapped.

  


"I've already been saved," the girl commented. "Sesshoumaru-sama saved me."

  


_'She makes me sound like some kind of saint,'_ Sesshoumaru thought, feeling rather amused. The conversation was, after all, having an interesting effect on his younger brother.

  


"Keh." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, golden eyes narrowed in anger.

  


"I would like to remain here, Inuyasha-sama," Kagome said gently, hoping that her tone of voice would have a calming affect on the hanyou. Luckily, it did.

  


"It'd be better for you to come with me," he suggested, trying to get past the older demon so he could get to her. The full-blooded demon stopped him before he could take one step.

  


Sesshoumaru fixed a superior glare on his younger brother. "She said that she wished to stay here with me. You should respect her wishes," he told the hanyou in a cold tone. "Unless you feel like taking her against her will, in which case I will be forced to stop you. She's my guest and under my protection."

  


The inu hanyou opened his mouth to argue, but Kagome cut him off. "Please, Inuyasha-sama, let me stay here." Her voice was pleading, and that was what got through to him.

  


The hanyou rolled his eyes, giving up on his mission for the time being. He would just have to try again later. "Be careful, Kagome," he warned as he turned to leave. "He'll reveal his true nature eventually, and you don't want to be around when he does, I can promise you that." Then, without another word, he stormed off.

  


Once Inuyasha was gone, Sesshoumaru shut the door then locked it. He couldn't help but let his small smirk grow a little bit bigger. Kagome had stood up for him and said that she wanted to stay where she was. Knowing that just kind of made him feel a little happy, something he hadn't really felt in a long time.

  


Shaking his head, he wiped off the smile and turned Kagome, finding her still standing there perfectly still. Her gaze remained on the closed door, her eyes slightly out of focus.

  


"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru wanted her to say something, to show that she was fine.

  


She shook herself out of her small trance. "That was so strange, Sesshoumaru-sama," she told him, taking her eyes away from the door and resting them on the inu youkai's face. "I do not understand your younger brother Inuyasha at all."

  


"He is a half-breed," he explained simply, as if that one statement would answer all of her questions. Instead, she just became more confused.

  


"Why did he want to take me away, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome inquired.

  


Sesshoumaru almost didn't respond to her. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to know the answer to that question, but he did eventually decide to tell her. "You remind him of Kikyou, his dead wife," he replied in a tone that told her to leave it at that.

  


The girl bowed slightly to him. "Thank-you, Sesshoumaru-sama, for telling me."

  


"Kagome..." the dog demon began to say, a warning laced through his voice.

  


"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked innocently, obviously having no clue what he was warning her about.

  


Sesshoumaru sighed. "No bowing, remember?"

  


"Oh... forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome apologized immediately.

  


_'And she was doing so well while Inuyasha was here,'_ he thought wistfully. _'He was someone she believed she could disagree with. Hmmm... perhaps I should find someone else she can argue with.'_

  


"You don't need to apologize either," he reminded her.

  


"But that's what I'm supposed to do, Sesshoumaru-sama," she protested. "That was what I was taught to do!" Realizing what she had just done, she clasped both hands over her mouth. She had actually been disagreeing with the inu youkai for no real good reason.

  


Sesshoumaru fought back the urge to laugh, finding her comical in her horror. "Continue," he prompted, keeping his stoic mask on. "I've been waiting for you to argue with me."

  


"Huh? What? Sesshoumaru-sama?" Once again, she was completely confused. "Why?"

  


"It's good for you," he answered, sitting down in his favorite chair. 

  


"What if I don't want to argue with you, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome inquired calmly, voice soft and gentle.

  


The inu youkai raised an eyebrow at her. "It seems to be in your nature to argue, otherwise you wouldn't argue about arguing."

  


Kagome opened her mouth but quickly shut it, frowning for a moment before her face went back to a neutral expression. "If you say so, Sesshoumaru-sama."

  


Sesshoumaru silently growled in aggravation. _'Damn it! Things were going perfectly until she retreated into slave mode!' _ He sighed, feeling just slightly defeated.

  


"Would you mind if I went to bed now, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, voice emotionless. She was not going to make the mistake of arguing with him twice.

  


"No, I wouldn't," the dog demon answered, wishing that he could just find some way to permanently force her out of slave mode.

  


"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she replied. Then, after saying a polite good-night, Kagome left the room and went to bed.

  


~*~

  


Sesshoumaru sunk down into his chair, enjoying the silence of his house. With Kagome asleep and Inuyasha gone, he finally had some time to thoroughly read through Shippou's report. Picking up the folder, he opened it and slowly began to read.

  


The report covered Kagome's birth, early school career, short lived and simple miko training, and her family. She had lived at a shrine with her parents, grandfather, and younger brother. Her father had died not too long after her brother Souta's birth. Her grandfather had just begun to train her as a shrine miko right before they all had died. Strangely enough, there was no note about how they had died. Most likely, there had been some kind of accident or natural disaster.

  


He finally got to the back of the last page. When he began reading off names, he stiffened. Naraku had been her first master, followed by Hiten, Manten, Kaijinbou, Juromaru, Kageromaru, Gatenmaru, Ryuukossei, and many other names he recognized. The last two names on the list made his blood boil over. Onigumo and Hojo, both top employees in his company, had actually owned Kagome... after they had sworn to him that they were fully against slavery.

  


"How dare they lie to me!" he roared out loud, throwing the folder and paper onto the coffee table. He hated liars, especially since he had built his company on honesty and honor. All of his employees had been informed that they were always to tell the truth or they would be sent packing. The worst thing was that they were partially responsible for Kagome's condition. Either one of them could have freed her, but obviously neither Hojo or Onigumo had considered that important enough to do.

  


His fury gave the dog demon the most irrepressible desire to break something in many little pieces, and that something was Onigumo's and Hojo's jaws or necks. Their jaws so they wouldn't lie to him again, and their necks because they had actually bedded Kagome against her will.

  


Sesshoumaru finally understood why the kitsune had advised him to read the last page of the report in the forest. Shippou knew him too well.

  


Growling dangerously loud, he punched a hole in the wall, trying to get a hold on his anger. He could not remember the last time he had ever been so furious. His eyes were blood red, and he had subconsciously summoned his poison into his claws, making them glow a deadly green.

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama?" a soft, timid, female voice called out from the vicinity of the door. "Is everything all right?"

  


Her voice and presence helped the inu youkai calm down. "I'm fine. I was only slightly upset for a few moments," he told Kagome, turning to face her. He found her dressed a large nightshirt and pajama pants, and her black hair hung about her in silky waves. Blue-gray eyes gazed into his, soothing his temper even further.

  


_'Slightly upset... Well, that certainly was the understatement of the year,' _ Sesshoumaru thought humorously to himself.

  


"Is there anything you need me to do?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

  


The inu youkai almost shook his head, but he quickly reconsidered. There was a question that she could answer for him. "Could you tell me how your last two masters Hojo and Onigumo treated you?"

  


A look of sadness and pain entered her eyes before it was quickly pushed away. "Just like all the others. Onigumo was worse than Hojo, though." She paused for a moment, obviously debating with herself over something. "Why do you want to know?"

  


Sesshoumaru almost smiled, noticing that she seemed to be less on guard when she was half asleep. "Those two just happen to work for me." He smiled evilly. Oh, the things he had in store for them.

  


"Okay," she said blandly, her brain too tired to understand why the youkai seemed to be so happy -at least for him- all of a sudden. "Is that all?" Since everything was all right, she wanted to go back to bed.

  


Sesshoumaru thought for a moment, and then he nodded his head. "Go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

  


"Okay, Sesshoumaru-sama." With a yawn, she left the room, planning on getting a few more hours of sleep.

  


Once she was gone, Sesshoumaru resumed planning the demise of the two lying employees with a devilish smirk on his face, his mind going a thousand miles an hour. By the end of the week, both Onigumo and Hojo would be gone, he was sure of it.


	11. Chapter 11

It was just before seven in the morning, and Sesshoumaru and Kagome were finishing a breakfast of muffins. They really didn't talk much, but the silence was a comfortable one. Besides, the inu youkai was enjoying the excellent food too much to really talk, not that he talked much anyway. 

  


Sesshoumaru was finishing off the last blueberry muffin when a knock on the door broke through the quiet of the house. Knowing whom it probably was, he swallowed his food and went to the door. Kagome followed him without being ordered, curious to see if it was Sango or not.

  


Before the girl could get close enough to greet the visitor, Sesshoumaru opened the door, allowing a little girl with black hair the chance to pounce on him.

  


"Fluffy!" the small girl exclaimed, brown eyes sparkling with joy. She clung to the dog demon's pants like an adorable leech.

  


Kagome's life was complete, and she believed that she could finally die happy. She had witnessed a child call a inu taiyoukai Fluffy and live. Never again would she doubt ANYTHING Sesshoumaru said, no matter how far-fetched it sounded.

  


"Rin..." Sango said chastisingly as she calmly entered the house, but the child just smiled and hugged Sesshoumaru's legs even tighter. "She's my little sister," the bodyguard explained to Kagome. "And for some reason, she absolutely adores Sesshoumaru."

  


"Is Fluffy going to play with me?" Rin asked in an adorable voice. For some reason, the ex-slave couldn't help but think that the girl was nothing but a ball of energy and cuteness. It was almost unbelievable, and Kagome instantly grew attached to the small child.

  


"No," he replied, shaking his head. "Kagome probably will, though." The dog demon gestured towards the blue-eyed girl.

  


"House?" Rin asked, turning her irresistibly cute gaze to the girl. "Please? Pretty please, can we play house?"

  


"Alright," Kagome answered, quickly giving into the child. She did not see how she could refuse.

  


"Yea!" the little girl cheered enthusiastically, releasing Sesshoumaru to clutch Kagome's hand instead. With a huge smile on her face, she proceeded to drag the older girl off to play.

br>

Sango laughed softly, grinning as she watched both of the other females disappear downstairs. "That was a good idea, Sesshoumaru, asking me to bring my little sister. Rin will bring out the best in Kagome, I'm sure of it."

  


The inu youkai nodded his head in agreement. "I need to get going. Keep an eye out for Naraku." Then, after gathering up his things, he left.

  


~*~

  


Downstairs, Rin was happily playing house with Kagome. She, acting as the mother, drove the ex-slave to school, went to work, picked Kagome back up in an imaginary car, fed her, and put her to bed. Sound effects all made by her, and motions that were done with non-existent objects accompanied all actions. 'Supper' had been cooked in midair over an invisible stove for the past few times, and 'baths' were taken behind a couch.

  


At the moment, Kagome was pretending to sleep, per Rin's orders. The older girl had gone along with everything the child had said, enjoying herself as they played house. She hadn't played house in ages, and she loved every minute of her time with Rin.

  


"Wakey-wakey!" Rin chirped brightly, smiling for all she was worth, which was a lot. "It's your turn to play the momma."

  


Kagome chuckled, marveling at Rin's innocence. She couldn't help but completely adore the sweet little thing. The child was just so priceless.

  


"Okay," the older girl agreed, sitting up and instantly taking on the role of the mom.

  


~*~

  


A few hours later, Rin called the game to an end on account of her empty stomach. "I'm hungry. Can we eat lunch now?" she asked, putting a hand on her growling stomach.

  


Kagome nodded, taking pity on the girl. "Sure. What do you want to eat?"

  


Rin thought for a moment. "Chicken and rice!"

  


The ex-slave laughed, finding the child immensely amusing. "That shouldn't take too long to make," she assured the younger girl.

  


"Yea!" Rin cheered, grabbed Kagome's hand, and dragged her upstairs, all while chanting "chicken and rice" over and over again. The girl was obsessed with chicken and rice, that much was obvious.

  


As soon as Sango saw her younger sister pulling Kagome into the kitchen, she laughed long and hard. "Oh, Kami!" She giggled. They made such a funny picture. "And I just got the kitchen cleaned, too."

  


"Sango-sama, would you like chicken and rice as well?" the girl asked as she passed by her bodyguard.

  


"Sounds good," Sango commented, following the other two into the kitchen.

  


Soon, all three girls were seated at the dining room table, eating and chatting to their hearts' content. 

  


~*~

  


After lunch, Rin decided that she was tired of playing house and that she wanted to play hide-and-seek. Of course, the little girl was the one who hid while Sango and Kagome searched for her.

  


"I'll take downstairs while you check this floor," Sango said, heading down a flight of stairs. "Give a shout when you find her."

  


"All right, Sango-sama," Kagome replied, her mind already on the search.

  


With amazing patience, the ex-slave went room by room, looking in every nook and cranny for the child. No part of any room was left un-searched. She was not going to overlook the child. Well, at least she was not planning on it.

  


Eventually, she combed her own room for Rin. She did not find the little girl under the bed or in the closet. Nor was she in the bathroom.

  


After a brief deliberation, Kagome opened the door that led to the balcony. The sight of a beautiful garden and blue sky greeted her, but there was no Rin.

  


The ex-slave sighed, walking out to the edge of the balcony and leaning on the railing. The place looked perfect, and everything seemed so peaceful. It was the kind of place that she dreamed of living in. 

  


"Could Rin have gone down and hidden in the garden?" Kagome wondered out loud, her blue-gray eyes sweeping over the expanse of green, yellow, blue, red, pink and white.

  


"I wouldn't be worried about that right now if I were you," a female said from somewhere up above.

  


The girl jerked her gaze upward, eyes wide. There was a woman up in the air, flying towards the balcony on a giant white feather. Black hair pulled into a high ponytail highlighted fair skin and evil red eyes. Green beaded earrings hung from the lobes of pointed ears. The youkai woman was wearing a white and blue kimono, and a fan in one of her hands completed the look. She very much looked like the dangerous demon that she was.

  


Too panicked to make a sound, Kagome spun around and sprinted into her room, slamming the balcony door behind her as she did so. She knew that the small barrier wouldn't stop the youkai, but she had to do something. Anything was better than nothing. Besides, it could possibly grant her a few precious seconds.

  


"Dance of blades," the youkai woman said calmly, waving her fan at the door. Glowing blades came crashing out of the fan, easily destroying the door, most of the wall, and a portion of Kagome's bedroom. Huge pieces of sheet-rock and wood littered the ground. Tons of dust choked the air, and shards of glass covered the ground, flashing when sunlight hit them.

  


Kagome screamed for all she was worth as she tripped over a section of fallen wall. "Sango! Help!" She tried to get back up, but her ankle prevented her from doing so. She looked down to see blood. A large piece of glass had embedded itself in her body. Knowing what she had to do, she yanked out the object and willed her miko magic to heal the wound.

  


The attacker smirked devilishly. "Well, that certainly wasn't as hard as Naraku made it out to be." She chuckled as she approached the fallen girl. "Of course, with Mistress Centipede keeping that bodyguard busy, it shouldn't be hard. You are, after all, a helpless human."

  


Somehow, Kagome forced herself to stand back up; and she began running. Her miko powers had made quick work of her ankle. All that was left of the wound was a dull ache. Dealing with the small pain was well worth getting away from the dangerous youkai.

  


Not worried by the ex-slave's actions, the fan-lady followed at a leisurely pace. It was not like the girl could run forever. Eventually she would give up and allow herself to be captured. The inevitable could only be stalled for so long.

  


Still chuckling, Kagura turned a corner, only to find a very sharp and bloody sword aimed at her throat. "So... Sango, you finally finished off the centipede youkai. I thought it would take you much longer than that."

  


"I have drastically improved since we last met, Kagura," Sango hissed. "And now, you have a choice: drop your fan and give yourself up, or die."

  


"I'll take option number three," the fan-lady stated, jumping back and raising her weapon before Sango could react. "Dance of blades!"

  


The bodyguard instantly dodged, shoving Kagome into a side room as she did so. Moving agilely, Sango avoided all the wind blades and pulled out a throwing knife. With deadly accuracy, she hurled it at Kagura, hitting her in the shoulder area near the heart.

  


The fan-lady gasped and clutched at her wound with a free hand, her face twisted in pain. Blood soaked her kimono and dripped onto the ground. She hissed as she raised her fan.

  


Immediately a giant, forceful wind blew Sango down the hall. "I'll return for the girl later," Kagura stated, and then she made a hasty retreat.

  


Sango chased after the youkai, but before she could get close enough, Kagura was up in the sky on the huge feather once again. With her so high up in the air, there was no way that the bodyguard would be able to attack. She couldn't even throw one of her knives that far.

  


She cursed before running back into the house, angry that the enemy had gotten away. Even though dealing with the enemy was important, she had more important things to do. She needed to check on Kagome and find Rin.

  


Sango's mind began to panic as she went into the room she had shoved Kagome into. She found the other girl on the floor, shaking in fear. The attack had left the ex-slave terrified.

  


The bodyguard put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "You're safe, Kagome. Kagura is gone," she assured the female. "There's no more reason to be afraid."

br>

Kagome slowly calmed down as the words sank in, her muscles relaxing as her trembling decreased and then stopped. "Thank-you for saving me, Sango-sama" she said after a moment.

  


"You're welcome," Sango replied. "Now, we need to go find Rin." It took all of her strength to just remain calm. She knew that she would never forgive herself if Rin was hurt or... _'NO! I won't even think that. RIN. IS. ALIVE!'_

  


"Oh, dear Kami," Kagome breathed as she lurched to her feet. "RIN!" she yelled fearfully, running out of the room. "RIN!" She wasn't like Sango. She couldn't find the strength to stay calm. What strength she had actually possessed had been fully used up during the attack.

  


Sango, too, was running around, searching and shouting for her younger sister. _'Please, please, PLEASE don't let her be downstairs or in the basement,' _she mentally pleaded. Mistress Centipede had destroyed everything in both of those areas. "Rin, we give up, so please come out of hiding!"

  


"Sango-neechan?" came a tentative, soft voice from a room at the end of the hallway --Sesshoumaru's office. It was a room that was actually still intact.

  


The bodyguard's heart soared. Rin was alive. "RIN!" she cried out happily as both her and Kagome raced to the office. They practically flew into the room, finding the little girl sitting on the floor near the desk.

  


"Is everything okay now, Sango-neechan?" Rin asked quietly as both of the older females hugged her.

  


"Everything's fine now," Sango answered, smiling brightly and sighing with relief. No one had been hurt, thank Kami. Only the house had been damaged, although maybe totally wrecked was a better description.

  


"Sango-sama, do you think that Sesshoumaru-sama will be angry about his mansion?" Kagome asked nervously, looking out the door at the trashed hallway.

  


Biting her bottom lip for a moment, she nodded her head. "He probably will, but who could blame him?" She noticed Kagome wince ever so slightly. "He won't be angry at you, if that's what you're thinking. None of this was your fault."

  


The ex-slave thought on that for few seconds. "Thank you, Sango-sama," she responded, feeling much more at ease.

  


Rin, deciding to lighten the moment, looked at both older girls and wiggled out of the hug. "Can we finish playing hide-and-seek now?"

  


Kagome and Sango laughed, enjoying Rin's innocence. "Alright, Rin, but we're going to play outside," the bodyguard stated, ruffling the little girl's hair. "Just let me try to call Sesshoumaru and report this."

  


"Okay."

  


Sango called, but for some reason, she couldn't get a hold of him. The only thing she could do was have someone tell the dog demon that she called. She could have left a message, but she did not want to do that. She preferred to tell people to their face what had happened or on the phone if she had no other choice.

  


"Well, I've done all I can," she stated, sighing. She turned to Rin. "Let's go outside now."

  


The child cheered, completely forgetting about the attack. She quickly proceeded to try and drag the two other girls through all the rubble in the house to the outside. She was in a hurry because she wanted to spend as much time playing with her new friend Kagome as much as possible.

  


Soon, all three girls were out on the front lawn, taking turns hiding and searching. Somehow, Kagome and Sango both relaxed and basically put aside the memory of the attack for the moment. They would remember later, but not until Sesshoumaru arrived.

  


~*~

  


Sesshoumaru came home to find Sango standing in the front yard, watching Kagome chase Rin around the yard. Beautiful laughter from both active girls rang through the air as the ex-slave finally caught Rin and began to tickle her.

  


Smiling, honestly smiling, the inu youkai walked up to Sango. "She's improved drastically," he commented, sounding pleased about Kagome's new behavior. Things seemed to be looking up for the ex- slave.

  


"Yes, probably because it's impossible not to act happy and carefree around Rin," Sango responded. "Kagome has spent most of her day playing with her. They have had quite a bit of fun today."

  


"You'll have to bring Rin back here tomorrow then," he stated, his eyes following Kagome as Rin chased her.

  


"Um... I don't think I'll be able to bring Rin HERE," the bodyguard told her employer nervously. "There was a small problem today. Two demons attacked the house, so the basement and first floor are pretty much unlivable. The kitchen and living room are completely gone. The upstairs is in slightly better condition, but a hallway and a bedroom are in very bad shape. Luckily, no one was hurt. I killed one demon, the centipede demon, and it turned to dust as soon as it died. The other demon was a wind sorceress named Kagura. She got away."

  


Sesshoumaru growled softly, so soft that Sango couldn't hear it. There was no doubt in his mind that the demons had been sent to get Kagome. It was the only reason he could think of that would explain their visit. "Describe this Kagura."

  


She nodded her head. "She fights with a fan, a weapon that can control the winds. With it, she can do two attacks that I know of: dance of blades and dance of the dragon snakes. She could have more than that. Kagura went through bodyguard training with me, so I know that she is also proficient with a sword and staff. She has black hair and red eyes. Also, she tends to wear kimonos, and she can use a feather to fly around on."

  


"Do you know why they demons came?" Sesshoumaru asked, wanting to confirm his guess.

  


"Yes. Before Kagura left, she said that she would return for Kagome." Sango sighed, shaking her head sadly. "Poor Kagome. She was so scared."

  


For some reason, the thought of Kagome being scared brought up strange feelings. He became angry at Kagura for frightening her, and he acquired a desire to keep the ex-slave so she would never be scared again. He automatically swore that he would do anything to protect Kagome, a human. He had never done that before.

  


Right then, Rin ran up and grabbed the inu youkai around his legs, jolting him out of his thoughts. A happy Kagome was soon to follow Rin, half-tackling the little girl, making sure not to hurt her. She tickled the child for a while, but soon, she was the one being tickled. Kagome, laughing hard and wriggling on the ground, tried to get away from Rin without success.

  


Sesshoumaru laughed at this sight, enjoying watching the two giggle and torture each other. The new and strange sound coming from the dog demon's lip startled Sango. Rin didn't pay much attention to it, but it brought the ex-slave out of her tunnel vision.

  


For the past half hour, she had been fully concentrating on the little girl. Her mind had registered nothing else except for the running ball of pure joy and energy. Now, she had finally been snapped back into paying attention. The deep, pleasant laugh had gotten through her mode unlike anything else; and when Kagome noticed who had laughed, she had just about had a heart attack. She had been acting like a child around her old master; something that she knew was not a good idea. Dear Kami, what had she done?

  


Instantly becoming serious, Kagome disconnected herself from Rin, stood up, and bowed, staying bent. "Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said with her eyes on the ground. "I did not mean to ignore you nor act so childish in your presence."

  


"Relax, Kagome," the inu youkai ordered gently. "I enjoyed watching you play with Rin, and you have a beautiful laugh." He put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to stand up straight. "And no more bowing to me, ever."

  


Once again, Sango stared at Sesshoumaru in shock and amazement. Never before had she seen the dog demon act like that. It just was not in his personality. He did not laugh, he did not compliment people, and he most certainly did not touch a human unless he had to.

  


"As you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama," the blue-eyed girl responded quietly, causing the inu youkai to sigh. "What is wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

  


"You're too submissive," he told her simply. "And that's not a good thing."

  


"I've been this way for nine years, Sesshoumaru-sama. It is hard for me to change," Kagome said. "I am trying though."

  


Sesshoumaru nodded his head in agreement. "I know," he admitted, and then he turned to look at Sango. "I am going to take a look inside and assess the damage done to my house. Will you please watch over Kagome for a little while longer while I do so?"

  


"Sure. Of course," the bodyguard answered. "Take your time."

  


"Thank you." With that said, he disappeared into the mansion, leaving the three girls alone.


	12. Chapter 12

A frowning Sesshoumaru came back outside a half-hour later to find Kagome playing with Rin once again. The ex-slave noticed him after a moment, froze, and then waved slightly at him as she returned to what she had been doing. After seeing that, the dog demon could not help by smile, even though he had been frowning earlier. He was thrilled by Kagome's actions. She was finally acting a little more normal around him. That was a very good thing. 

  


He watched the two girls play for a while before turning to face Sango. "I have surveyed the damage and decided that the house is too destroyed to be lived in. There is too much wreckage in some essential rooms." The amount of damage had actually surprised him but he was not going to tell Sango that. It did not matter anyway. He had already made some calls and learned that repairing his home would take quite a bit of money.

  


"I am sorry about all the damage, Sesshoumaru," Sango apologized sincerely. She had not meant to wreck such havoc on his home.

  


"Don't be. You did what I hired you to do --protect Kagome," he responded, voice calm. "Besides this only means that Kagome and I will have to say somewhere else for about two weeks while this house is being repaired."

  


"Where will you two be staying?" She needed to know where she was supposed to go the next morning so she could continue to protect Kagome while the inu youkai was at work.

  


"Never mind, Sango. I'm taking this opportunity to allow myself a vacation from work, so I can get some things done elsewhere." Sesshoumaru moved so he could watch his house guest as he continued to converse with the bodyguard. "I'll protect Kagome while we're gone, so you can take a break as well. Although, I'll need you again when we return."

  


Sango nodded her head in acknowledgment. "All right. I'll report back here at seven in the morning, exactly two weeks from today."

  


"I will call you if the date changes," Sesshoumaru promised, earning a nod of agreement from her.

  


Sango sighed. "Now I have the task of breaking up the game and telling Rin that it's time for us to leave."

  


After saying a quick farewell to the dog demon, she proceeded to convince Rin that they needed to leave. Rin put up a small fight, using tears and a cute puppy-dog face as her weapons. Sango won the argument, so both of the sisters gave Kagome a hug good-bye and then left.

  


Kagome frowned slightly when the two girls departed. She had enjoyed their company, and she hated to see them go. Things had been so much fun with them around, not to mention that Rin was such a sweetheart.

  


Instead of moping like she wanted to, the ex-slave turned her attention to Sesshoumaru. "Where are we going to say, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome asked, facing him so that she could watch his face.

  


"I have a place about an hour from here that we can stay at. It's much safer, and no one will think to look for you there," he replied his tone and face neutral. _ 'Of course, since no one has been there in five centuries, no one would look for me there either. Unfortunately, that also means that the pantry is not stocked up. We will have to do some grocery shopping tomorrow.'_

  


She looked at the dog demon, curiosity on her face. _ 'A safer place? Wow,' _ she thought, feeling gratitude wash through her system. _ 'He cares more about me than anyone else I've met in years. Sango and Rin care about me as well, but Sesshoumaru goes far beyond what he has to do to keep me safe.'_

  


"You may want to go see if you have any wearable clothes left that you can pack," Sesshoumaru suggested. "When I looked at your room, there wasn't much left. I did set the dresser back up for you, and the closet appears to be intact."

  


"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," she told him politely, and then she rushed off to do his bidding.

  


The inu youkai merely shook his head sadly and went inside to his own packing.

  


~*~*~

  


An hour later, both Sesshoumaru and Kagome were in his car, traveling to their temporary home. They were about ten minutes away to be more exact. The ride was a comfortable one, with Kagome happily answering any questions about her day.

  


Despite her cheery mood, Kagome instantly quieted when they reached their destination. She just stared at the building, blue-gray eyes wide with amazement. She had never seen anything so astounding in her entire life. The phrase 'unbelievably magnificent' was what came to her mind.

  


For the next two weeks, she was not going to be staying in a house like she had expected. She was not even going to live in a mansion. Sesshoumaru was having her stay in a gigantic castle!

  


"Oh my," she whispered under her breath, completely dumbfounded.

  


The entire castle was made of brilliant white stones that shone brightly in the sun. Slender towers gracefully rose up towards the sky. A moat full of crystal clear water surrounded the structure. Over all, it was a dazzling castle that seemed to have come right out of a fantasy book.

  


"Heavenly," was her next comment.

  


Sesshoumaru smirked, pleased by her reaction. He had brought her here, even though he risked bringing up painful memories, just to see her shocked face. Since he had gotten to see it, he was quite happy.

  


_ 'Dear Kami! Since when do I, Sesshoumaru, toss aside my good sense just because of some little human girl?'_ he wondered, amazed with himself. Two months ago he would not have even considered visiting his castle.

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama, it's beautiful..." she said breathlessly, wonderment in her voice. "Thank you so much for bringing me here." She turned her bright smile on the dog demon. "I love it."

  


He noticed her grin and instantly flashed a half-smile back. "You're welcome," he responded, surprising himself.

  


_ 'I'm taking this help-out-the-slave plan a little too far,'_ he thought. _ 'But why? Is it because Kagome is pretty... and even good company? She can cook very well, and she smells wonderful. She's pleasant to talk to when she's not in slave mood.'_ Sesshoumaru looked over at her as he stopped the car. _ 'She's more than pretty; she's beautiful.'_

  


The inu youkai mentally smacked himself for that thought. Silently grumbling, he got out of the car and began to think of a way to lower the drawbridge. He was not given a long time to think because suddenly, to his complete surprise, the drawbridge lowered on its own.

  


Sesshoumaru was shocked for a moment, but his mind quickly came up with a logical conclusion. Someone had lowered the hunk of wood from the inside, which meant that someone was in his castle. Of course, the dog demon had a pretty good idea as to who it was.

  


'It's probably Telonomaru,' he thought, growling softly. He was not pleased with the thought of another person in his castle, even if that person did just happen to be a family member.

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome called out his name through her open window, wondering why they were still outside when they could obviously get into the castle. When the inu youkai did not respond, the miko climbed out of the car. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" she repeated, frowning slightly.

  


Either the demon was deep in thought or he was ignoring her. Since Kagome did not like the second option, she decided to believe in the first one. If Sesshoumaru was thinking so hard that he had turned even her out, then he needed someone to snap him out of it.

  


Timidly at first, but with more courage as she went on, she walked up to the dog demon until she was standing right in front of him. She took a deep breath, let it out, and then looked up into a pair of unfocused golden eyes.

  


"Yooouuuu-whooooo," Kagome said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Are you still in there, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

  


A clawed hand snapped up faster than her eyes could see and grabbed her hand, forcing it out of his line of vision. "Yes, I am," Sesshoumaru replied stiffly, although he did not release the girl's hand. It was a subconscious action, something that he was not even fully aware of.

  


However, Kagome did notice that he held onto her hand, but she didn't argue. It felt perfectly natural to her, like it was something she was supposed to do. Despite that fact, she still blushed slightly. "What were you thinking about, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

  


She knew that it was probably a bad idea to pester the dog demon, but her day had been so wonderful so far that she just felt like testing her luck a little. Besides, he had told her to act how she wanted to, hadn't he? Well, he was going to get what he asked for, whether he liked it or not.

  


The inu youkai debated over if he actually wanted to answer or not. In the end, he decided to tell the girl what she wanted to know. "A family member."

  


"Oh?" Kagome cocked her head slightly to one side, looking very cute as she did so. "Why?"

  


Sesshoumaru blinked, studying the miko's curious face. He found temptation staring right back at him. She did not look timid or expressionless as she often did. Instead, her eyes were bright, and the small smile on her face drew his attention to her perfect lips. "Because he is most likely inside the castle," he replied, forcing his gaze away from Kagome and towards the castle.

  


"Is that a good or bad thing?" she inquired, her voice drawing his eyes back to her.

  


The inu youkai considered the question for a few moments. Whether it was a good or bad thing solely depended on a person's point of view. "Telonomaru visiting is not bad, but it's not good either," he finally answered.

  


"Is Telonomaru nice?" Kagome wanted to know. If he was nice, then she knew that she would have no problem with him. If he was mean, then Sesshoumaru would protect her; thus, she would still have no problem. Either way, she would be perfectly fine and completely safe.

  


"Why don't you greet me and find out for yourself?" a male voice asked loudly from the direction of the castle.

  


The ex-slave turned her head to see who had spoken. Her eyes rested on a tall inu youkai dressed in an old-fashioned male kimono, and he appeared to be maybe twenty years older than Sesshoumaru. Golden eyes watched her with a kind expression as long silver hair fell to his waist.

  


"Hello, Telonomaru," Sesshoumaru told the other youkai, his voice void of any emotion. Kagome took that as a sign that he was not happy.

  


"It is very nice to meet you, Telonomaru-sama," she said sweetly, her voice pitched to help her old master relax a little. "I'm Kagome." Her tone had the appropriate effect on Sesshoumaru, much to her delight.

  


"The pleasure is all mine, I can assure you," Telonomaru replied, chuckling. He took an instant liking to the polite, kind-sounding girl. Also, she was holding hands with his cousin, a definite plus in his book. If Sesshoumaru was allowing the girl to hold his hand, then there was hope for him yet.

  


Sesshoumaru decided to spoil the pleasant little moment by growling. "What are you doing here, Telonomaru?" he demanded to know, sounding very unhappy. He did like his cousin, really he did; but Telonomaru was a horrible matchmaker, something that had been proven many times.

  


For the past half-century, Telonomaru had been trying to set him up with one girl or another. Of course, if the dog demon was not playing matchmaker, he was forcing his cousin to listen to arguments about the importance of marriage. Sesshoumaru found it annoying after a while.

  


The kimono-clad male walked up to his cousin, laughter in his eyes. "I came here to fix the place up a bit," Telonomaru answered. "And as soon as I was done, I had been planning on visiting you." He paused to chuckle for a brief moment. "I most certainly hadn't been expecting you to show up here... and with a beautiful female as well."

  


Kagome's stomach rumbled very loudly right then, stopping Sesshoumaru from making a retort. She placed her free hand over her tummy, giving her old master a small smile. "May we please go inside and eat, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she inquired softly. "My stomach seems to be protesting about its lack of food." She gave Sesshoumaru a small smile, earning a nod from him.

  


"All right. If you want to," he answered, giving into her. He was not really hungry, but that was partially due to the presence of his cousin.

  


"I'll see if I can fix anything," Telonomaru stated, turning around and beginning to walk back into the castle. "I didn't bring anyone who could cook, so you two are stuck with my cooking for the time being."

  


_'Kami, help me,'_ Sesshoumaru silently pleaded, sighing softly. His cousin was not the best of chefs.

  


Kagome pulled her hand out of Sesshoumaru's and jogged to catch up with Telonomaru. "I want to cook, Telonomaru-sama," she told him as Sesshoumaru came to walk beside her. "Please?"

  


Telonomaru looked down at her eager, pleading expression. _ 'Well, she certainly can't be any worse at cooking than I am,'_ he thought humorously as he nodded his head. "I don't see why you can't. Besides, I can almost guarantee that you're a better chef than I am." He reached out to pat the girl on the head, but she jerked out of his reach.

  


Sesshoumaru placed a hand on the girl's shoulders, a comforting gesture. "He won't hurt you, Kagome," the inu youkai said reassuringly. "He has a wife back home that will beat him over the head with a frying pan if he even so much as thinks about you indecently."

  


Telonomaru frowned, a little shocked and confused by that statement; he did not protest though when he saw the girl relax and smile slightly. She had obviously gone through some kind of ordeal, and his cousin was helping her recover.

  


_ 'Sesshoumaru, acting as someone's knight in shining armor. How interesting...'_ he silently mused, impressed by the taiyoukai's actions. _ 'He must care about her quite a bit to act so differently around her. Last time I checked, he rarely even acted like this around family members.'_

  


"If you say so, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome replied to the dog demon, nodding her head. "I believe you. You have yet to lie to me." She really did believe him; she trusted him with all of her heart. He had never hurt her, never yelled at her. He had only tried to help her. It was her trust in him that encouraged her to act normal.

  


"Good." Sesshoumaru turned his attention away from the girl and towards the other dog demon. "And, Telonomaru, if you do anything to her that I don't like, then you will sorely regret it." The warning was harsh, cruel, and cold. It left no room for an argument of any kind. Of course, it was also not needed.

  


Telonomaru nodded his head in understanding. His cousin was protective of the girl... how quaint. "I wouldn't dream of hurting Kagome in any way, so you can just relax, little cousin." He gave the younger demon a harmless smile. "Trust me."

  


Sesshoumaru glared at Telonomaru for a few moments until Kagome touched his arm, making his gaze soften considerably as he turned to look at her. "Let's go inside. Once I show you where the kitchen is, I'll come back out here and drive the car into the courtyard." He began to lead Kagome inside, pressing a button on his keychain to get the car doors to lock.

  


"Can I fix oden, Sesshoumaru-sama?" the miko asked, tone hopeful.

  


The inu youkai nearly laughed. "Yes, you may."

  


"Yea!" she cheered, smiling.

  


Telonomaru watched the two as they went into the castle, a knowing grin on his face. _ 'Oh, how you are so close to the edge, cousin,'_ he thought happily. _ 'All you need is a little push to fall right over and go plummeting straight into love, and I think that I shall be the one to do the pushing.'_

  


Plans forming inside his head at an alarming rate, the devious inu youkai went into the castle as well. Soon, he would be putting one of his little plans into action. All he needed was just the right moment.

  


_'Sesshoumaru, soon you won't even know what hit you.'_


	13. Chapter 13

"For heaven's sake, Miroku," Inuyasha said gruffly, rolling his eyes. "Just call and ask her. The worst she can do is say no." 

  


"Exactly!" the raven-haired man replied as he glanced at the phone. He was torn over whether or not he should call Sango to ask if she wanted to accompany him and the inu hanyou to a dance club. Like many men, he feared that she would turn him down.

  


"Do you mean to tell me that you can ask a woman to bear your son," the half demon began, "but you can't ask her out on a date?"

  


Miroku gave his friend a pathetic look. "Ummm... is it required that I answer that question?"

  


Inuyasha groaned. "Just call her and ask, okay? She's probably home now, and more than likely she doesn't have any plans."

  


"But..." he protested weakly. He really did want Sango to go with him; he just did not want to hear her say no.

  


"If you won't call her, then I will," the silvery-white haired youkai threatened. He meant the threat too, and his friend knew it.

  


Miroku almost paled. _ 'If Inuyasha calls Sango, he'll probably humiliate me just because I made him call,'_ he thought. "All right, I'll call her," he responded, throwing up his hands in defeat.

  


The youkai carefully watched his human friend pick up the receiver and press some buttons on it. A moment later, his dog ears picked up the sound of ringing.

  


~Hello?~ a young, male voice said from the other end.

  


"Hi, this is Miroku," the ex-monk stated, guessing that the boy who had answered the phone was Kohaku, Sango's younger brother. "Is Lady Sango there?"

  


~Yeah, just give me a sec to get her.~ Shouts and teasing were heard over the line followed by the sounds of a brief struggle.

  


~Hello, this is Sango,~ a pleasant female voice greeted the caller.

  


"Good evening, Lady Sango," Miroku said.

  


~Oh, hi, Miroku. How are you doing?~ she asked curiously. She had not heard from the perverted male since he had dropped off her sword at Sesshoumaru's house. 

  


"I'm doing fine," he replied politely, his voice slightly betraying his nervous state. "How about you?"

  


~Pretty good,~ Sango answered. ~A little bored, but good.~

  


"Well, if you're bored..." Miroku took a deep breath. "How about you come to a dance club tonight with Inuyasha and me?" In the silence that followed, he could have sworn that his heart stopped beating.

  


~Sure. Are you going to pick me up?~ she inquired.

  


"Ummm.... yeah. About nine tonight sound okay?" His heart had resumed beating, and it was currently in the clouds, soaring happily.

  


~Sounds great. I'll bring a friend for Inuyasha... unless he already has a date,~ the bodyguard drifted off, waiting for Miroku to respond.

  


"Your idea's perfect," the electrician commented. "Who are you thinking of?" 

  


~That's a surprise,~ she teased, tone light and playful. ~You'll both just have to wait and see.~ There were suddenly shouts from her end of the phone. ~I need to go now, Miroku. My mom needs my help with something. I'll see you at nine, right?~

  


"Right. See you then," Miroku agreed, nodding his head. "Good-bye, Lady Sango."

  


"Bye!"

  


The ex-monk set the receiver down with a very happy sigh. His eyes closed as he sunk down into his favorite chair, his mind cheerfully going over the conversation. _ 'Sango said yes!'_ he thought, smiling.

  


Inuyasha, of course, had to ruin the happy moment. "I'm not going with that girl Sango's bringing," he stated firmly.

  


"You heard what Sango said?" Miroku looked at his friend, feeling a little surprised. Every time he thought he knew the extent of his friend's abilities, Inuyasha proved him wrong.

  


"I have ears, ya know?" he retorted, flicking one of the furry appendages on his head.

  


The black-haired man winced. "I know." He gave a small sigh. "Please, Inuyasha? It wouldn't kill you, and it'd probably do you some good." The electrician gave his friend a pleading look. "C'mon... it'll be fun."

  


The hanyou snorted, but he did give into his friend. "Fine. I'll go." He stuck his hands into his large, haori shirt sleeves. "But that doesn't mean that I'll enjoy it."

  


Miroku smiled. "Who knows, Inuyasha? Maybe you will."

  


~*~*~*~

  


Kagome hummed happily as she bustled about the kitchen, gathering everything she would need to prepare the meal. The kitchen was huge and beautiful with marble countertops, stone walls, a stone floor covered by a large Turkish rug, mahogany cabinets, and a large window over the sink that looked right out into the courtyard.

  


"I can't say why I love you, but I do... yes I do, and," she sang softly as she began to put everything together that she needed to. "When I'm around you, it feels so good... feels so good. And everything that I can do, every wish I make for you... in the end it all came true and I... I can't say why I love you." She gently stirred the oden as she continued to sing. "Can't say, can't say... but I do. I can't say why I love you, can't say, can't say... but I do. I can't say why I love you."

  


Telonomaru was walking past the kitchen right at that moment, his ears picking up her quiet voice and telling him to stick around for a while. He did just that, standing in the door and leaning his shoulder against the frame. The warm sound of her voice washed over him, relaxing him, as he listened to the words.

  


"Baby when I found you... I just knew, I just knew that I... couldn't live without you. Feel it too, do you feel it too? Everything you give to me... feels as though it's meant to be. If you ever ask me how I feel..." Kagome, completely oblivious to the presence of the dog demon, continued to fix dinner. She was enjoying herself, and she saw no reason to halt her actions. "I can't say why I love you. Can't say, can't say... but I do. I can't say why I love you, can't say, can't say... but I do. I can't say why I love you."

  


_ 'There seems to be some feeling behind this little song,'_ the inu youkai thought as he kept his golden eyes on the girl. _ 'I believe she cares about my cousin as well; she just hasn't realized it yet.' _ A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. _ 'This is going to be easier than I thought.'_

  


"Now I'm thinking of you... oooohhhh, when I can't explain the feelings. But I know that it's real when I hold you. When I saw you, you know, I knew... I knew I couldn't live without... without you ever in my life. When I saw you, you know, I knew... I knew I couldn't live without... without you ever in my li-" Kagome cut herself off when she turned around and saw Telonomaru, her eyes going wide.

  


"Please, Kagome, finish the song. It was absolutely lovely," he gently urged, expression kind.

  


The girl blushed slightly and shook her head. "No, Telonomaru-sama," she told him, voice faint. "I would rather not."

  


The youkai shrugged. "Suit yourself."

  


Kagome blinked, a little surprised by how easy he had let the subject drop. She took advantage of that fact, turning back around and returning to her cooking.

  


"That looks really good," Telonomaru commented, coming up behind her and reaching around with a hand to snatch a little taste test.

  


Before he could even get close enough to the pot, Kagome smacked his hand with her spoon, a frown on her face. "The food is still cooking," she informed him firmly. "And it's hot. You don't touch hot, cooking food with bare hands."

  


The dog demon jerked his hand away from the food and took a few steps back, not wanting to acquire another bruise. "I only wanted to taste a little piece of it," he stated in his defense, smiling. The girl had spunk when she wanted to.

  


"Still, you don't reach into a boiling pot." Kagome sounded like a mother scolding a disobedient child.

  


Telonomaru laughed. "I'm a demon. We're not as susceptible to temperature extremes as humans are. The water would not have burned me."

  


She scowled. "I don't care," she retorted. "I don't know where your hands have been, and I don't want you sticking your bare hands in my supper!"

  


Sesshoumaru walked in right then, drawn by Kagome's loud voice. "What's going on?"

  


The "injured" dog demon turned to look at his cousin. "Tell me, Sesshoumaru, does she always act so possessive over the food?" he inquired, a twinkle in his eyes. "And does she smack you with a spoon as well?"

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't try to grab cooking food out of a boiling pot with his bare hands," she snapped. "You did."

  


"So, just because I did that, you decided to hit me with the stirring spoon of destruction?" 

  


The taiyoukai could not help it; he laughed.

  


~*~*~*~ 

  


"You owe me big for this, Miroku," Inuyasha stated as he pulled his car into Sango's driveway. "Real big." It was five till nine, and they had just arrived at the bodyguard's house.

  


"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know," the ex-monk replied, getting out of the car and going up to the front door. He took a deep breath, and then rang the doorbell. The sounds of shouting and running quickly ensued, causing a small grin to grace Miroku's features.

  


A moment later, a small girl answered the door. "Miroku-sama!" she squealed, launching herself at him. She hugged his legs tightly, obviously happy to see him.

  


"Hello, Rin," he greeted the child. "Is Sango ready to leave yet?"

  


She looked up at him, an adorable expression on her face. "I don't know, but can I go too?" Rin asked pleadingly. "Another girl is going with Sango-chan, and I wanna go."

  


Miroku gently patted her on the head. "Not this time, Rin," he told her. "Sorry."

  


Her smile fell. "Please?"

  


He shook his head. "Uhh-uhh. Nope. We're going some place you can't go quite yet." He gave her a small, comforting smile. "Do you think that you can go tell Sango and her friend that Inuyasha and I are here?"

  


"Okay!" She cheerfully bounded off, her disposition not allowing her to be sad for any length of time. 

  


A few minutes later, Rin came back to the door with Sango and another girl right behind her. Sango was dressed in a short black skirt with a slit on each side and pink spaghetti-strap shirt that showed off a few inches of her flat stomach. She had put black knee-length boots on her feet, and her hair was done up in a fancy bun.

  


The other girl had on a bright blue, strapless dress that matched her eyes. Long blond hair had been swept up into a pile on her head, leaving some strands to delicately frame her face. Boots the same color as her dress were on her feet, and she had a small white purse slung over one shoulder.

  


Both girls were wearing a tasteful amount of make-up, and the light from inside outlined them like angels. 

  


Miroku was in shock. "You look lovely, Sango," he whispered after a moment. "As does your friend."

  


The bodyguard smiled. "Thank you. You look nice as well." Her eyes took in his tennis shoes, black pants, and prefect-fitting purple shirt with a black dragon design.

  


"Hey, Miroku!" Inuyasha said, getting out of the car and walking up to stand by his friend. "What's taking yo-" He froze when he saw the girls, going into shock just like his friend had.

  


The blond giggled softly. "Sango-chan, is he my date?" she asked the black-haired girl, surveying the silvery-white haired man in his black pants and red muscle shirt. "He's cute."

  


The hanyou blushed. "Who are you?" he asked, being his normal tactless self. 

  


Sango sighed softly. "Miroku, Inuyasha, this is my friend and fellow bodyguard, Varice. Varice, this is Miroku and Inuyasha." She pointed to each of the boys in turn, easily noticing how her friend nodded to each of them. "Now if Miroku can stop staring at us, Varice, we can leave."

  


"Oh." The ex-monk slightly shook his head to clear it. "Forgive me, but it is rare for me to see two beautiful ladies in such close vicinity of each other." Inuyasha snorted in reaction to that.

  


Both girls rolled their eyes. "Let's get going," Varice said, giving her date a smile as she walked to the car.

  


Inuyasha, not really knowing what to do, opened the car door for the blond, waited for her to get situated, closed the door again, and then slide into the driver's seat. He sat there for a few minutes, his mind desperately trying to reboot. By the time Miroku had copied the hanyou's actions, the dog demon was back to normal and ready to leave.

  


Moments later, the two couples were on the road and ready to go dance. 


	14. Chapter 14

Telonomaru smiled to himself as he walked to the study. Dinner had gone very well, and he had been surprised by how kind his cousin acted towards the girl. The younger taiyoukai had been most attentive to Kagome's needs... helping her carry the food, making sure she didn't trip and fall, assisting her in clean up. 

  


_ 'What a funny thought... Sesshoumaru doing dishes.' _ He mentally laughed, glancing out a small window as he went down a long hallway. The moon was out and high in the sky, casting the courtyard in a silvery glow. It looked romantic and magical in his opinion, a place for two people to fall in love.

  


When he arrived outside the room he wanted, he knocked on the door. A voice told him to go away, but he ignored it, going in anyway.

  


Telonomaru was greeted by the sight of his cousin at a large desk, papers strewn all over it. He frowned. "I thought you claimed to be on vacation," he stated, going to stand in front of the desk. "It seems to me like you're doing work."

  


Sesshoumaru looked up from the folder he was studying. "I'm going over some of the paperwork on this castle. I have been sorely neglecting it."

  


The kimono-clad male chuckled. "That you have, but you need to take a break."

  


Glaring at his cousin, Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I have some serious work to do. Many parts of the castle need to be looked over and repaired."

  


"You need to take a break, and I'll even give you some reasons. First off, I've taken care of most of those problem areas," Telonomaru stated. "Second, I have a feeling that you've been at this since after supper, and that's not healthy. Third-"

  


"There's a third reason?" He smirked, amused. "I hope it's better than the other two."

  


The older dog demon nodded his head. "It is. Kagome wanted me to tell you that she's outside in the courtyard, waiting for you. She wants to talk to you about something."

  


Sesshoumaru's curiosity was instantly peaked. "What about?"

  


"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me." He shrugged. "I guess that you'll just have to go out there to find out from her."

  


The taiyoukai of the western lands stood up, setting the folder on the top of his desk. "I'll go see what Kagome wants, and then I'll come back here and finish my work."

  


"Okay," Telonomaru replied, watching his cousin walk out of the room. _ 'We'll see just how quickly you return. Although, I highly doubt that it will be any time soon.'_

  


~*~

  


Sesshoumaru strode out into the courtyard, looking around for the girl. He saw her almost immediately, sitting on the edge of a fountain in a beautiful white kimono with red sakura patterns and a red obi. She was tracing the top of the water with her fingertips, obviously absorbed in whatever she was thinking about. Moonlight highlighted her dark hair and pale skin, almost making her glow. She looked like a moon goddess, especially since she was wearing the white kimono.

  


He walked up and took a seat next to her, drawing her attention away from the fountain.

  


"Oh, hello, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome said cheerfully, standing up. "Look at the pretty kimono Telonomaru gave me to wear." She spun around so he could see it from all sides. "Do you like it?"

  


"It does look very nice on you," he responded, making a mental note to have a little chat with his cousin. Telonomaru had given Kagome the kimono reserved for the Lady of the Western Lands. _ 'He's dropping hints,' _ Sesshoumaru thought unhappily. _ 'He's trying to play matchmaker again, damn him.' _

  


"I was hoping you'd say that, Sesshoumaru-sama." She sat back down. "Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

  


"What?" The dog demon frowned. "Telonomaru said that you wished to speak with me about something."

  


Kagome shook her head. "I didn't tell him to do that. Telonomaru-sama told me that you wanted to talk to me."

  


Sesshoumaru growled softly, feeling rather annoyed with his cousin. "We've been set up."

  


"Huh?" She stared into his golden eyes, not understanding what he had meant. "What are you talking about?"

  


"It seems that Telonomaru is trying to play matchmaker with us. He conned both of us into coming out here," he answered.

  


"Is that such a bad thing?" Kagome wanted to know, voice soft. "I mean, this place is beautiful, and I can't think of anyone else I would rather share this with." She paused. "But if you wish to get him back, then I'll be more than happy to help."

  


The inu youkai considered the offer for a few minutes. "I have an idea."

  


~*~

  


An hour later...

  


Sesshoumaru carried out a chessboard and set it down near the fountain as Kagome followed him with a box full of chess pieces. He sat down next to the board, gesturing for the black-haired girl to do the same. She did as he suggested, making sure not to step on the hem of the kimono as she did so.

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama, are you sure you don't mind teaching me?" she asked as she looked down at the game, handing him the box at the same time.

  


"Of course I don't mind," the inu youkai responded, beginning to put the pieces on the board in their appropriate places. "I've been looking for someone new to play against."

  


"I'm not going to be very good," she protested, although she wasn't sure why. "I've never played before." _ 'Why am I putting up a fight? I want to learn, and he's offering to show me how; so, what's my problem?'_ She thought about that for a brief moment. _ 'I'm still thinking like a slave who doesn't want to bother her master; I need to stop that.'_

  


The dog demon sighed. "I promised that I would teach you, and it's certainly better than playing against myself."

  


Kagome smiled at him. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

  


He blinked, surprised that she would give in so easily; however, he wasn't about to complain. "You're welcome." He pointed down at the chess board. "Now, the whole point of the game is to trap this piece," -he picked up the king, showing it to her- "so that it can't move without you taking it. This is the king, and it can only move one space at a time. It's the most important piece in the game."

  


"Okay... the king," she repeated, picking up the piece on her side of the board that corresponded with the piece in his hand. "It can move one place, and the purpose of the game is to trap it."

  


Sesshoumaru nodded. "Exactly." He put down the king and then proceeded to explain how the rest of the pieces moved. Once he was done telling her everything, Kagome repeated the basic information of what he had just said. "Good, Kagome," he told her, a half-smile on his face. "And now, since you are white, you get to move first."

  


"Ummm..." She bit down lightly on her bottom lip, thinking hard about how she wanted to move. After a few moments, she set one of her pawns two spaces forward. Sesshoumaru almost instantly countered her move, and then Kagome moved one of her pieces again. The game continued like that, with Sesshoumaru taking most of Kagome's pieces while she took very few of his. Right when the taiyoukai was about to proclaim checkmate to the girl, he heard a distant shout of shock.

  


He chuckled. "I believe that Telonomaru finally found the surprise we left in his room for him."

  


"How do you know?" Kagome inquired, feeling curious.

  


"I can hear his shouts," Sesshoumaru replied in an amused tone. "He'll probably leave his room to come find us soon."

  


"Do you think that he's really angry?" There was a hint of worry in her voice.

  


Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. More likely than not, Telonomaru will just be a little annoyed. It takes quite a lot to anger him." He paused. "Oh, and Kagome? Checkmate."

  


~*~

  


Inuyasha sank a little lower in his chair, mumbling under his breath. Varice, his date, was in the bathroom; Miroku and Sango were on the floor dancing and obviously having fun. The two had started out about two feet away from each other, but somehow they had been drawn together so that they finally ended up dancing with the full front of both of their bodies touching.

  


He was bored and most definitely NOT happy. The blond had tried to talk to him, but he just hadn't felt like talking. Yes, she was pretty, but she wasn't the person he wanted to be with at the moment.

  


_ 'I want to be here with Kagome,' _ the hanyou thought wistfully as he took a sip of his drink. _ 'I bet that she would be a great dancer.'_

  


As soon as he thought that, a little voice in his head began to argue with him.

  


***Kagome isn't here,* ** the voice told him. ***Varice is.***

  


_ 'And?' _ Inuyasha retorted. _ 'Big deal.' _

  


***The girl isn't yours, and she'll never be yours. You need to give up on her.*** The voice was silent for a brief moment. ***Besides, you don't need a replacement for Kikyou; you need a whole different girl.***

  


For the first time, the silver-haired male actually considered those words. _'Okay... so maybe I do. I still want Kagome.'_

  


***C'mon... just give up on Kagome. Just take a look at Varice when she comes back. She's pretty, and I bet that she's nice too.***

  


Inuyasha mentally sighed. _ 'Alright. I guess that it can't hurt.'_

  


The voice was silent after that.

  


The hanyou almost laughed out loud, but Varice had suddenly reappeared, giving him someone else to deal with.

  


"Hey, Inuyasha," she greeted him, voice anything but nervous.

  


_'Geez, I've been rude to her for the past hour, and she still seems to be unaffected.'_ Needless to say, he was very impressed. "Hey," he responded.

  


Varice looked over at the dance floor and then looked back at him. "You wanna dance?" she asked. "I think that it might be fun to upstage Sango and Miroku. What do ya think?"

  


He shrugged. "Sure. I guess so."

  


"Great!" She smiled brightly, grabbing his hands and lightly dragging him over to the dance floor.

  


Inuyasha mentally wondered what he had done to deserve such "torture."

  


~*~

  


Telonomaru walked up to the two chess players, dripping water all over the ground as he did so. He wanted to have a little chat with his cousin about all the little booby traps that had been placed in the guest room he had been using. For some reason, he thought that Sesshoumaru had put everything up. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that there were only three people in the castle: him, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome. Since Telonomaru highly doubted that the miko would set traps in his room on her own, he suspected his cousin.

  


When the dog demon was a foot away, Kagome looked up at him, freezing in mid-move. "Oh, hello, Telonomaru-sama," she said politely. "How are you?"

  


"How am I doing?" he repeated, amusement in his voice. "Take a good look at me and tell me what you think."

  


The miko looked him up and down, a smile threatening to break across her neutral face. 'He looks funny,' she thought, silently laughing.

  


Telonomaru was standing there, soaking wet and covered in silly string, shaving cream, and pudding. His silver hair was a mess, and his clothes were most likely ruined.

  


"You look like the kitchen attacked you," Kagome commented, giggling.

  


Sesshoumaru mentally chuckled and shook his head sadly. "I believe more than just the kitchen attacked him," he said to the miko, successfully fighting back a smile.

  


"It seems that someone set up a few booby-traps in my room," Telonomaru stated. "Would either of you two know anything about that?"

  


"Nope," the black-haired girl answered, shaking her head.

  


"We both have been playing chess for the past hour or so; thus, neither of us could have set up the traps," the taiyoukai of the Western Lands added calmly.

  


The older dog demon raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Riiight." His tone was doubtful. _'Well, at least they're working together. That's a good thing... even though they're ganging up against me.'_

  


"You don't believe us?" Kagome asked innocently, her beautiful blue eyes on the standing inu youkai.

  


"As you put it, nope," Telonomaru responded.

  


Sesshoumaru shrugged. "That's fine," he said. "But Kagome and I want to finish this game, so..." He let the rest hang.

  


"Alright, alright. I can take a hint. I'm gone." Secretively smiling, he left, pleased that his cousin and the miko were becoming closer. _'I'm one step closer to my goal. A few more days is all I need to finish what I've set out to do. Hopefully, by next year, I'll have some more relatives.' _

  


With that pleasant thought on his mind, Telonomaru went back into the castle, leaving the other two alone in the courtyard.


	15. Chapter 15

It was an hour after midnight when Telonomaru entered Sesshoumaru's office once again. While Kagome had gone to bed a few hours ago, his cousin was still wide awake. For some reason, the taiyoukai of the Western Lands wanted to finish some of the work that had piled up in his absence. 

  


He sighed as he walked up to the desk where the younger demon sat. Sesshoumaru paid him no heed, busying himself with his paperwork. "Sesshoumaru," Telonomaru began. "I have a question for you."

  


Finally, the occupied demon looked up from his desk. "About what, Telonomaru?" His voice was calm, emotionless, and neutral.

  


"Kagome."

  


A low growl tore itself from Sesshoumaru's throat. He didn't like the fact that his cousin was asking about the girl. "What about her?"

  


"Calm down," Telonomaru advised, giving his cousin an innocent look. "I'm just a little curious about her. You don't need to become so protective." When the growling ceased, he continued to speak. "How did you and Kagome meet? What or who did you save her from? And why was she so scared of me when I tried to touch her?"

  


The taiyoukai of the Western Lands sighed. "I bought her at a slavery store."

  


"WHAT?!?!" Of all the things that Sesshoumaru could have said, that was the last thing that Telonomaru had expected. "There is no way that... You couldn't have... I know that you were raised better than that!" The older dog demon glared at his cousin, eyes briefly flashing red in anger. If Sesshoumaru really had bought Kagome, then he was prepared to teach his little cousin a lesson that he would never forget.

  


"I bought her so Inuyasha could not have her," Sesshoumaru explained calmly. "I have freed her, as well as seen to her happiness and safety."

  


The older inu youkai calmed down upon hearing that. _ 'So, he bought her to annoy the hanyou... as well as for a few other reasons obviously. How intriguing.'_ "You're playing her knight in shining armor now, huh?" Telonomaru chuckled, amused. The look on his cousin's face told him that he was correct in his assumptions. "You always did like those fairy tales when you were small."

  


The younger inu youkai rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Enough," he stated, glaring at the male.

  


"Are you going to booby-trap my room again if I don't?" The smile on his face was a taunting one designed specifically to annoy whoever it was aimed at.

  


"No, but I do want to know why you gave Kagome that kimono to put on," Sesshoumaru responded, narrowing his eyes. "We both know that the kimono she had on is reserved for the Lady of the Western Lands."

  


Telonomaru shrugged, looking off to the side then back to his relative. "I thought that she would look good in it, and I was right." His smile grew bigger. "I know that you agree with me on that. Kagome was stunning in it."

  


"I never said anything of the sort," the younger inu youkai retorted in his defense.

  


"You didn't need to. Your face gives it away."

  


Sesshoumaru shook his head, sighing in disgust. "If you don't have anything useful to say to me, then get out."

  


"Would it kill you to admit that you're attracted to her?" Telonomaru wanted to know, voice curious. "That you like her? That you maybe love her?"

  


"Out," the young lord repeated coldly, his face blank.

  


"I'm going." Telonomaru made his way towards the door. "But you really should come out of denial. It's not healthy." With that last parting shot, he was gone.

  


Sesshoumaru rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to fight back an incoming, massive headache. After a few moments, when the impending pain receded, he went back to his work.

  


~*~ Inuyasha smiled as Varice and Sango playfully argued who had won the dancing contest. He was driving again, with Miroku in the passenger seat and the girls in the back seat.

  


"I am sorry, Lady Varice, but I believe that Lady Sango and I won," the electrician stated with a large grin on his face. He had enjoyed dancing with the raven-haired bodyguard more than anything else than had happened that evening.

  


Inuyasha snorted. "I don't think so. Varice and I kicked your butts all over the dance floor," the hanyou retorted. After the blond had dragged him on the dance floor, he had surprised himself by actually having a good time. Varice had turned out to be an excellent dancer as well as a fun person to argue with. She didn't lose her head in an argument, and she loved debating about just about anything.

  


For a hour or so, they had argued about whether or not a no-datchi was better than a katana. Inuyasha had been for the no-datchi, and Varice had placed her vote with the katana. Neither of them won the argument, but they had both enjoyed every minute of it.

  


"Riiight," Sango said sarcastically.

  


Raising an eyebrow, Varice laughed. "Sorry, Sango-chan, but I'm with Inuyasha-kun on this. We most definitely won." She smiled at her date, knowing that he would be able to see her in the rearview mirror. "Our dancing skills are way beyond both yours and Miroku's."

  


"WHAT?" the black-haired girl exclaimed, pretending to be scandalized. "How could you suggest such a thing? That is a downright lie."

  


Both girls broke into a fit of giggles. Inuyasha chuckled, very amused by their attitude. "She's not lying. I would smell it if she was," the half demon commented.

  


Varice leaned forward and gently placed a hand on the youkai's shoulder. The soft scent of rose and musk invaded the demon's nose. "Of course I'm not lying. We won, hand's down," the blond said, still giggling. "You're one of the best dancers I've ever met."

  


Inuyasha didn't quite know what to say. "Thank you."

  


She giggled. "You're welcome." 

  


Miroku almost said something, but the hanyou caught him before the lecherous man could say a word. "Don't you dare, Miroku. I don't want the girls to beat up on you while I'm driving. It'll be distracting."

  


"Is that because you'll be trying to protect me?" the ex-monk wanted to know.

  


The silver-haired demon shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "No. I'll be laughing so hard that I won't be able to concentrate on my driving."

  


Feigning hurt, the electrician turned to the girls for help. They just laughed at him; he sighed. "It appears that everyone is against me tonight."

  


"That is because you are a hentai, Houshi-sama," Varice stated. "Isn't that right, Sango-chan?"

  


"Most definitely." The black-haired girl nodded her head in agreement, eyes sparkling with good humor. "But... I believe that he has been good tonight. He didn't even grope me once. Now that I think about it, he didn't grope anyone."

  


Varice blinked. "Wow. From what you've said, that's a record for him."

  


"I am not as bad as you two ladies say. I have gone for extended periods of time without groping a woman," Miroku protested.

  


Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his friend, doubtful of the man's words. "Feh. I don't believe you." He pulled into Sango's driveway right as he said that.

  


"It is the truth," the black-haired man stated, gracefully climbing out of the car and opening the door for his date.

  


"Well, Miroku, I have a little challenge for you then," Sango said, smiling. The ex-monk saw her look and almost winced. She had something evil planned. "I'm off work for the next two weeks, so we can test that little statement of yours."

  


Varice quickly caught onto what her friend was thinking. She thanked Inuyasha for opening the car door for her, and then she jumped into her friend's conversation. "Let him take you on a few more dates, and if he gropes you, then he loses. If he doesn't, then you know that he was telling the truth."

  


"What if I touch you on accident, Lady Sango?" Miroku asked innocently. "Would that count against me?"

  


The black-haired girl thought on that for a moment. "Hmmm... if it was truly and accident, then no; however, you have a habit of making things look like an accident..." She paused. "Perhaps we will need impartial judges." She gave Inuyasha and Varice a meaningful look.

  


The hanyou gazed back at the girl, surprised. "You want me to play baby-sitter for you two?"

  


Varice laughed. "No, Inuyasha-kun. I believe that Sango-chan wishes us to watch Houshi-sama and judge on whether or not a touch is pure accidental," she answered him.

  


Inuyasha frowned slightly. "But I'd probably be biased towards Miroku."

  


"And I'd be biased towards Sango-chan, so it evens out," she countered easily. "So... what do you say? You wanna play "judge" for our two friends?"

  


After thinking it over for a moment, the half demon shrugged. "Sure. Why not." He meant it too. Varice was quickly becoming a friend, and if anything, he would find the dates very entertaining.

  


Miroku smiled happily. He and Sango were going to go on more dates, a very good thing in his mind. With a fancy bow, he offered his hand to the black-haired female. "Shall I escort you to your door, Lady Sango?"

  


Sango laughed, shaking her head. She took the offered hand. "Thank you, Miroku."

  


"My pleasure."

  


Inuyasha snorted at his friend's behavior. "Twenty bucks says that he loses this little challenge," he whispered to Varice.

  


"You're on."

  


~*~

  


Sesshoumaru sighed as he turned off his desk light and left his office. It was late, and he was finally tired. _ 'I'll just check on Kagome and then go to bed,'_ he thought as he walked around a corner. The castle was perfectly silent, a blessing in his mind. If the place was quiet, then his cousin was most likely either asleep or somewhere else.

  


Stopping long enough to assure himself that Telonomaru had not booby-trapped his room, the taiyoukai quickly entered the miko's room, which was right next to his. The room was richly decorated, and he made a mental note to ask his cousin who had done the decorating. The older dog demon could do repairs and upgrading but not interior design.

  


Lavender and a pale rose were the predominant colors in the room; however, splashes of gold in the Turkish rug and on the furniture helped bring a warm glow to the room. A large dresser and vanity sat against the wall directly across from him, while the door to a closet was on the adjacent wall along with the large canopy bed. On the wall to his right was a third door --the door that linked to his room. He could tell that the door was locked just by looking at it.

  


Curled up in the bed, black hair strewn all around her, was Kagome. She was whimpering slightly in her sleep, once again calling out the names of her family members. Her soft sounds easily reached his ears, causing a feeling of sympathy to rise inside of him.

  


Sesshoumaru gave a small, sad sigh, shutting the door behind him and going over to stand by the bed. With a gentle hand, he caressed the side of her face, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin. "Shhhh..." he said then whispered more soothing words to her.

  


Kagome quickly quieted down. "Ses... shou... maru..." she mumbled, latching onto his hand with both of hers. Hugging the appendage to her chest, she rolled closer to the center of the bed, dragging a surprised dog demon onto the bed with her.

  


_'Kuso,'_ he thought, trying to pull his hand out of her grasp. Unfortunately, the more he tried, the harder she held on. _ 'Not good. I could pry her hands off of mine, but I might hurt her in the process. I don't want to hurt her. Perhaps if I stay very still she will release my hand.'_

  


The inu youkai relaxed, laying down behind Kagome on the mattress, intent on waiting for her to free him. Despite his best efforts, he was not able to stay awake long enough. Within minutes, he fell asleep, his hand still being tightly held by Kagome.


	16. Chapter 16

Kagome yawned as she slowly awoke, snuggling closer to her source of warmth, her eyes still closed. Something soft and fuzzy was curled around her... a blanket most likely. She felt comfortable, safe, and happy. The dream she had just woken up from had been wonderful. Sesshoumaru had been in it. He had talked to her, hugged her, and then kissed her. 

  


The miko didn't quite know what to make of her dream, but she really didn't care too much about it. _ 'It was just a dream... a really, really, really nice dream,' _ she reminded herself.

  


Taking a deep breath, Kagome recalled the gentle kiss she had received in her dream. "Mmmmm..." She took another deep breath through her nose, her brain finally registering what she smelled. Her magic surged forth a moment later, informing her that there was a demon near her... a familiar demon.

  


Her eyes flew open, showing her exactly who she was cuddled up with. Silvery-white hair flowed across the bed and over a masculine shoulder. An almost feminine face marked with a dark blue crescent moon and two sets of red strips was just inches away from hers. A long, fluffy tail was curled around her body, holding her close to him.

  


Kagome gasped softly, noticing that she had Sesshoumaru's hand clutched to her chest. His other arm was tucked under his pillow.

  


The soft sound woke the dog demon. His golden eyes quickly focused on the girl in front of him who had begun to look fearful. _ 'She's scared of me... of what I may do,'_ he thought sadly.

  


"Good morning, Kagome," Sesshoumaru said gently, moving his tail from around her. "May I please have the use of my hand back?"

  


Once she released his hand, she immediately rolled away from him and out of the bed, her face bright red. Landing on the floor with a thump, she made a small noise that reminded the dog demon of a squeak. The miko stood up, and something inside of her clicked. She went from scared and embarrassed to angry and embarrassed in a split second.

  


"What were you doing in my bed?!" Kagome screamed. "You had no right to be there! I'm not some plaything! You swore that you wouldn't force yourself on me; yet, I just woke up to find you right beside me! What kind of game are you playing? Do you honestly think that you can climb in bed with me now just because I'm free?!"

  


Sesshoumaru blinked, surprised for a moment, but he quickly went on the defensive. "I did not climb into your bed. You pulled me in," he informed her, voice cold and calm. In a single, graceful movement, he climbed out of the bed. "I keep my promises. You have no right to call me a liar."

  


She glared at him. "I pulled you in?!" she repeated, blue-gray eyes filling with fire. "I remember doing no such thing! There is no way that I tried to get you in my bed!"

  


The inu youkai took a deep, calming breath. "Enough, Kagome. Be quiet and let me explain!"

  


The miko shook her head. "I won't obey orders. I am free. You can't force me to do anything anymore! I can go against the spell if I want."

  


Growling, Sesshoumaru crossed his arms and glared at her. "You were asleep when you grabbed my hand and accidentally pulled me down next to you. It wasn't my fault that this happened, and it wasn't yours."

  


Kagome instantly quieted, quickly realizing that what he had said made perfect sense. "Oh." She blinked, unsure of what to say for a moment. After a minute or so, she found her voice. "I am sorry for jumping to conclusions, Sesshoumaru-sama."

  


"You are forgiven." He nodded his head slightly and gave her a small smile. "I am going to go get changed and check on Telonomaru. Hopefully, he hasn't decided to try and prepare breakfast for us."

  


"Okay," she replied simply. Then, the taiyoukai left the room, closing the door behind him.

  


~*~

  


A little while later, Kagome found out something about Telonomaru --he was a horrible cook. Somehow, he had completely ruined the waffles, making them inedible. The miko's stomach had nearly rejected the one tiny bite she had taken.

  


"Cousin, you couldn't cook to save your life," Sesshoumaru commented, dumping his breakfast into the trash can. "So, as long as we're here, would you allow Kagome to cook?"

  


Telonomaru pretended to look hurt. "Hey, last time I checked, you weren't a gourmet cook either," the dog demon said in his defense.

  


"I can at least follow the directions on a box," the taiyoukai retorted, half-tempted to make a face. Kagome made it for him.

  


"I hate to say it, but this does not taste good," she admitted, pointing at her plate.

  


Sesshoumaru gave her a sympathetic look. "You don't have to eat it. I wouldn't wish Telonomaru's cooking on even my worst enemies... not even Inuyasha."

  


Laughing, the older dog demon shook his head. "If that's true, then my cooking must be much worse than I could ever imagine."

  


Kagome giggled. "Telonomaru-sama, if you can't cook, then what have you been eating while you've been here?"

  


"TV dinners," he answered sheepishly.

  


"And what about for breakfast?" Sesshoumaru wanted to know.

  


Telonomaru gave a small smile. "Pop-tarts."

  


The miko looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Pop-tarts?" she repeated. "There's pop-tarts in this kitchen, and you made the waffles from purgatory?"

  


He raised an eyebrow at that. "My waffles are not from purgatory."

  


"Are they from Hades?" Kagome asked teasingly.

  


"No." Telonomaru shook his head.

  


"Erebus?"

  


"Ahhh... I don't know."

  


Sesshoumaru laughed.

  


"What?" the older dog demon inquired, confused. "What's so funny?"

  


Kagome gave a small, victorious smile. She had fooled a youkai who was at least three times as old as her. Interesting.

  


"Erebus is another word for Hades," Sesshoumaru answered with a smile.

  


Telonomaru just groaned in defeat.

  


~*~

  


"Just go on in," Telonomaru gently urged. "Sesshoumaru needs an interruption."

  


"But..." Kagome looked at the door in front of her. The taiyoukai had been in his study for the entire morning and most of the afternoon. He had told Kagome to bring his lunch into him, which she had done without an argument.

  


He took her hand and placed it on the doorknob. "Go on. He won't mind, I'm sure of it." He sighed at the pathetic look she gave him. "It's either go in and see my cousin, or you can continue to put up with me."

  


The miko's eyes went wide, and she shook her head. Telonomaru had been trying to convince her to date Sesshoumaru. "I'll go in," she told him. _ 'Anything's better than listening to him list reasons why I should go out with Sesshoumaru-sama.'_

  


"Good. I'll talk to you later." With a pleased smile on his face, the inu youkai walked off, whistling.

  


Kagome sighed softly, twisted the knob, opened the door, and walked into the room. She immediately noticed a tense Sesshoumaru sitting at a desk piled at least two feet high with paperwork.

  


_ 'He's working too hard,' _ she thought. _ 'He's gonna give himself a gigantic headache soon if he doesn't stop and relax for a while.'_

  


He was frowning, a large file in one hand, a pen in the other. His golden eyes were determinedly focused on the objects in front of him. Sesshoumaru quickly scribbled a note on one of the papers in the file and then looked up at her. "Yes, Kagome?"

  


"Sesshoumaru-sama, shouldn't you take a break? You've been working for hours straight." She walked up to stand in front of his desk. "And didn't you tell Sango-sama that this was a vacation for you?" 

  


The dog demon shook his head. "I'm fine, Kagome," he told her. "And this is a vacation. I'm not dealing with any of the papers I deal with at work."

  


"But you're still working. A vacation means a break from work... all work," Kagome reminded him. "And you do need a break. I can tell that you're stressed and tense."

  


Sesshoumaru looked at her doubtfully. "How do you know this?"

  


"Miko magic, Sesshoumaru-sama," she answered simply. "I was trained to be able to sense my master's emotions."

  


"I'm not your master," he reminded her immediately.

  


Kagome nodded her head in agreement. "I know. It seems that I can sense your emotions, whether you're my master or not." She reached over and took the file out of his hands. "Break time."

  


He raised his eyebrow at her. "Break time?" he repeated, sounding amused. "You're acting like you're my boss."

  


She blinked. "I am?" She paused for a moment, thinking about what he had said. "Is that a bad thing?"

  


Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I do not believe so."

  


"Okay." Kagome smiled. "Are you going to take a break now?"

  


That caused the dog demon to chuckle. 'She is nothing if not persistent.'

  


"What?" she asked, curious. She wanted to know what Sesshoumaru had found so funny.

  


He shook his head. "Nothing, Kagome." Reaching up with one hand, he began to massage the back of his neck. _ 'Maybe I have been at this too long. My shoulders and neck hurt.'_

  


"Here, let me, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome moved so that she was standing behind him. She gathered up all his hair in her hands, reveling in the feel of it for a moment; then, she tossed the huge mass of silvery-white tresses over his shoulder. "Could you please hold that out of my way?"

  


"What do you think you're doing?" Sesshoumaru inquired, frowning slightly as he held his long hair in one of his hands. _ 'There's no way she's about to do what I think she's about to do.'_

  


The miko placed her hands on his neck and slowly began to knead the muscles, her hands applying just the right amount of pressure. She massaged the muscles in his shoulders next, taking her time.

  


Sesshoumaru relaxed against the back of his chair, enjoying the massage. He couldn't remember the last time someone had given him a neck rub. _ 'Twenty, thirty years maybe?' _ he silently mused.

  


"Why are you doing this?" he wanted to know, voice just barely above a whisper. Kagome was so good at being a masseuse that he was nearly asleep.

  


"Because you're stressed, and your muscles are so tight that you needed one," she answered. "Besides, I don't mind giving you one, and I trust you not to take this the wrong way."

  


The instant she said that, he noticed how enticing she smelled and just how close she was standing to him. The warmth from the hands on his shoulders seeped through his body, making him even more aware of the girl.

  


_ 'Dear Kami, what is wrong with me? Was Telonomaru right? Am I attracted to Kagome?' _ Sesshoumaru mentally shook his head, but he couldn't forget the answer to that question. _ 'I am attracted to Kagome. I like her... a lot. She is not like anyone else I have ever met. She actually has the nerve to yell at me when she sees fit, and she is very kind. She enjoys teasing Telonomaru, and she's lovely... not to mention she can cook.'_

  


His thoughts paused as Kagome worked a kink out of one of his particularly tight muscles. For a few moments, he just let himself enjoy the feel of her hands on him.

  


_ 'I care about her, but do I love her? No. I don't think so,'_ Sesshoumaru thought, feeling unsure of himself, even in his mind.

  


Suddenly, Kagome stopped massaging him, jolting the dog demon out of his thoughts. "I'm finished," she declared, walking around to stand in front of his desk again. "Do you feel better now?"

  


Sesshoumaru nodded dumbly. "Yes, I do. Thank you, Kagome."

  


She smiled at him. "You're welcome." She paused. "Now what do we do?"

  


"What do you mean?" His brain was still trying to catch up with the real world. _ 'Well, I won't be finishing any paperwork for a while.'_

  


"Well, last night we played chess," Kagome answered. "Can we do something else together right now?"

  


The dog demon nodded, the perfect idea forming in his mind. "My mother's flower gardens are out back. Would you like to see them? They're very beautiful."

  


Her eyes lit up like miniature suns. "Yes, I would." She nodded her head, smiling.

  


Sesshoumaru stood up, walked closer to the miko, and offered her his arm like a lord would offer a lady. "Shall we?"

  


Kagome giggled. "Yes."


	17. Chapter 17

Kagome stared in wonderment at all the vibrant colors around her. The beautiful green of the trees contrasted with the blood-red roses, the sapphire-blue morning glories, the brilliant orange poppies, the deep purple violets, and the sun-yellow daffodils. Small bushes with white flowers the size of a child's fingernails placed in strategic places all over the garden balanced out the bright color. A stone walkway wove around the flower beds, allowing for close inspection of every plant. Cherry trees shaded the path and protected the delicate flowers from the rays of the sun whenever it reached its highest position in the sky. 

  


"It's exquisite, Sesshoumaru-sama," the miko said breathlessly, her eyes trying to take in everything at once. "And there's a tiny pond over there with swans!" She smiled, her overflowing joy apparent on her face.

  


The black-haired girl began to wander around the garden, taking her time to smell and touch every flower. She spent the longest time at the roses, which smelled like an earthy version of heaven to her. Delicately running a single finger along one of the red blossom's petals, she took a deep breath.

  


"This flower smells amazing," Kagome commented, turning to look at the dog demon. "And it's so beautiful, too. Your mother's garden is absolutely wonderful." She sighed happily. "I love it here."

  


"I played here when I was a pup," Sesshoumaru admitted, brushing one of the flowers with a claw.

  


"It must have been so much fun," she responded, beginning to twirl around like a child. "This place has a magical quality to it."

  


He nodded his head in agreement, golden eyes sincere. "Yes, it does."

  


_ 'It is funny that she would describe it the same way Mother did,' _ the inu youkai thought with a small, almost non-existent smile.

  


"When I was younger, I played around the God Tree at our shrine," Kagome told him as she ceased her spinning, feeling just a little dizzy. She just giggled at the sensation. "I would pretend all sorts of things under its branches."

  


She took one last look at her favorite rose, and then she walked off towards the small pond.

  


Sesshoumaru lingered behind for a moment, his eyes on the rose she seemed to have favored. After a second, he came to a decision. With a quick swipe of claws, he cut the rose blossom from the plant, and then he stripped it of all the thorns.

  


He easily caught up to Kagome, placing a hand on her shoulder to draw her attention to him. Once she was looking at him, he present the rose to her.

  


The miko instantly rewarded him with a bright smile. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama. I love it!" She stood on tip-toe and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Then, still smiling for all she was worth, she turned back around and walked onto the bridge.

  


The dog demon lightly touched his cheek, amazed at the feelings Kagome's small kiss had stirred up inside of him. He felt happy and warm inside.

  


_ 'What is this warm feeling?' _ he mentally wondered, his eyes going up to gaze at the blue sky. _ 'I don't understand it. It makes me feel lightheaded, woozy, and so thrilled that I could jump for joy like a young pup. This makes no sense. What is this feeling?' _

  


Sesshoumaru was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the groaning of wood. He looked down to find Kagome leaning on the railing of the bridge, straining the structure. Without thinking, he rushed up behind her, grabbing her around her waist and pulling her back.

  


His actions startled the miko, causing her to spin on her heels and trip both her and the dog demon. They collided against the railing, breaking it, and then they fell into the pond.

  


Kagome resurfaced first, giggling at the panicking swans that they had startled. Her wet hair clung to her head and water streamed down the sides of her face as she treaded water. She began to laugh when Sesshoumaru appeared from out of the depths, a lily pad on top of his head. His silvery-white hair appeared to be a few shades darker when wet, but it didn't look near as nice as when it did when it was dry.

  


He raised an eyebrow at her, causing her to point at the bit of plant life that he was sporting as a hat. Scowling slightly, he picked the lily pad up off of his head and returned it to the water's surface.

  


"Are you alright, Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked once the miko had calmed down enough to answer him.

  


"Yes, I'm fine," she responded, still smiling. "And so is the rose you gave me." She held up the flower to prove her statement; it was in perfect condition, despite the dunking it had just received.

  


"Good." He turned his attention to the bridge. "That needs to be rebuilt."

  


"The wood was rotten," Kagome told the inu youkai. "When was the last time you were here?"

  


He thought for a moment, slowly treading water. "About five-hundred years or so."

  


The black-haired girl's eyes became very wide. "Five-hundred years?" she repeated, amazement in her voice. "Then how come the garden is so nice? Someone must have been looking after it."

  


"Telonomaru must have had a gardener attend to it first thing," Sesshoumaru responded simply.

  


"Oh. Okay." Then, after tucking the rose behind one of her ears, she gently splashed the dog demon.

  


Sesshoumaru just stared at her. "What was that for?" he wanted to know, curious.

  


"Haven't you ever had a water war?" she asked in return. He shook his head, so she decided to explain. "It's fun. You just splash each other." She gave another small demonstration. "See?" He nodded again. "Now, you splash me in return."

  


The inu youkai looked at the water, then at Kagome, and then back at the water. Quickly coming to a decision, he used one hand to send a wave of water at the girl, drenching her all over again.

  


Kagome just laughed and returned the favor with enthusiasm. "There you go!" she said happily when Sesshoumaru splashed her again.

  


Soon, they were having an all out water war. Both of them were having fun, and even the dog demon laughed when the miko splashed him really good.

  


While Kagome was trying to swim away from the youkai, she suddenly cried out in pain. The water around her became tinged with red as Sesshoumaru's eyes lit up with alarm. His heart jumped up into his throat, and his stomach clenched tightly.

  


"Kagome?!" He swam over to her, grabbed her with one of his arms, and quickly got out them both out of the water.

  


Once the dog demon could clearly see all of Kagome, he noticed that her leg was cut and bleeding. Without a second thought, he removed his white shirt and wrapped it around the wound to hopefully help with the bleeding. Then, he swept her up in his arms and began to carry her inside.

  


While Sesshoumaru was holding her close to his chest, he noticed the tears in her eyes that she was trying to hold back. She was in pain, but she was trying to keep from crying. Also, he could sense miko magic.

  


When he glanced at the area around her wound, he noticed a slight aura. The girl was healing herself.

  


_ 'Of course. I had forgotten about that ability of hers,'_ he thought with a sigh of relief as his heartbeat returned to normal. No matter how bad the wound had been, it would be much better than it was supposed to be since she could heal herself. He thanked Kami over and over for making Kagome a miko.

  


Sesshoumaru carried the black-haired girl to his bathroom where he set her down on the counter just to the right of the sink. She sat the quietly, obviously concentrating on her wound. Taking great care, he unwrapped his bloody shirt from around her leg, revealing the healing cut. It was about four inches long and very slowly shrinking.

  


Frowning, the dog demon took a wash cloth and bottle of hydrogen peroxide out from under the cabinet. After a quick glance at Kagome's face, he poured some of the liquid on the cloth and began to thoroughly clean the wound, doing his best not to hurt her any more than she already was.

  


The girl whimpered slightly, but that was it. She didn't complain at all, and by the time he was done with the wound, the cut was about three inches long.

  


"Kagome, how are you doing?" Sesshoumaru asked her, worry in his voice. He didn't like seeing her in pain; it tore at his heart.

  


She looked up at him, his gray-blue eyes sparkling with a thin layer of silver that indicated her use of magic. "I'll be fine, Sesshoumaru," she responded, accidentally dropping the suffix at the end of his name.

  


The inu youkai smiled at what she had called him. _ 'My name sounds better without the suffix than with when it's coming from her lips.' _ "Do you want me to bandage it?" he inquired, moving to pull some gauze out of the cabinets.

  


Kagome nodded, her eyes going back to her wound. _ 'He's taking such good care of me, and he's acting like he's worried about me. In fact... I can sense that he actually is worried about me. I wonder why...' _

  


"Very well," Sesshoumaru responded, gently wrapping the gauze around her leg, fully covering the wound. He taped the gauze down once he was finished. "There you go."

  


"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama," the black-haired girl said softly.

  


The dog demon used a finger to lift her gaze to his. "You can drop the 'sama.' Plain Sesshoumaru will work just fine," he informed her, tone firm but still kind.

  


"Huh?" She stared at him in confusion.

  


"Are we not friends?" the inu youkai wanted to know.

  


Kagome nodded her head. "Yes, we are."

  


"Then you have no reason to call me 'Sesshoumaru-sama.' Drop the suffix," Sesshoumaru advised.

  


She blinked and stayed quiet, but she eventually responded. "Okay, Sesshoumaru." She smiled sweetly at him.

  


The dog demon smiled in return, pleased at her response. "Good. Now, would you like to rest before supper so you can finish healing?"

  


"Yes, that would be very nice," Kagome answered, surprised that he would think of something like that. She found that question to be a bit unexpected, but she still welcomed it.

  


The miko moved to push off of the countertop, but the inu youkai stopped her. "No. You're wounded. It would be unwise to try to walk so soon." Before she could protest, he swept her up in his arms bridal style once again.

  


"I can walk," Kagome insisted firmly as he carried her to her room, her eyes still glazed over with a coat of silver.

  


"Are you sure?" Sesshoumaru inquired skeptically as he opened her door and walked over to her bed.

  


"Yes," she replied, sounding very sure of herself as she nodded her head.

  


"Well, you can walk after you've rested," he assured her with a smug smile and laid her down on the bed.

  


She frowned. "You distracted me on purpose, didn't you?"

  


"Yes," the dog demon answered as he pulled the covers over her. "Now, rest." He gave her a soft kiss on her forehead and walked out of the room.

  


Kagome stared at the door for a few moments after Sesshoumaru had closed it. _ 'Did he really just do that? Could I have imagined it?'_ She reached up to run her fingers over the place the youkai's lips had touched. _ 'Did he actually kiss my forehead?' _ she mused, considering the question for a moment. _ 'Yes, he did. There's no doubt about it. It was sweet, but why did he do it? Does he like me?' _

  


For some reason, the thought of the inu taiyoukai liking her made her smile. She liked that idea. She liked that idea a lot.

  



	18. Chapter 18

AN: Yea!!! Over 400 reviews! Time to rejoice! 

  


CotA: *begins dancing around the room.

  


Sess-chan clone and Sigmund: *walking into the room* 

  


Sigmund: What's going on? What's the deal?

  


CotA: I just looked at how many reviews I have. I've never had so many in my entire life. I never even dreamed that one of my stories would do so well. *hugs Sess-chan* This is wonderful.

  


Sigmund: Hey! Where's my hug?! I was your first muse.

  


Sesshoumaru: You are a lecher who does not deserve a hug from her.

  


Sigmund: Take that back, loser!

  


Sess-chan: *bangs Sigmund on the head*

  


CotA: No calling my Sess-chan names. It's not nice.

  


Sigmund: *Grumbling*

  


CotA: Oh, I posted a one-shot song fic called tourniquet. If someone could read it and give me his/her opinion on it, I would be most oblidged. It's a little different from my other workds. Well, onto the story.

  


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Kagome stretched as she set her feet on the floor, completely healed and feeling much better. Her short nap had really helped, and she was pleased that she hadn't walked on her leg like she had wanted. Sesshoumaru had been right. It would have been stupid to use her leg before it had healed.

  


Since she was awake, she noticed that she was still in her clothes that she had swam in. _ 'That wasn't too smart. Good thing I was in a warm bed. If I hadn't been, then I probably would have become sick.' _ With that thought on her mind, she changed into clean clothes, a blue skirt and a white and blue shirt.

  


Smiling unwound the gauze from around her leg, revealing perfectly smooth skin. The cut she had received from an incredibly sharp rock had not even left a scar. Of course, the dog demon cleaning her wound had most likely helped quite a bit. _'He's so nice and thoughtful.'_

  


Her growling stomach brought her attention back to reality. Giggling, she left her room and went into the kitchen, finding Telonomaru there, standing by the microwave. He seemed to be cooking something.

  


"Telonomaru-sama, are you fixing dinner?" Kagome asked, worry in her voice. She didn't think that her stomach could take even looking at one of his meals.

  


"Yes, I am," he answered, turning around to smile at her, golden eyes sparkling mischievously. "Is there a problem."

  


The miko groaned softly. "Please tell me that you're not preparing waffles for our dinner."

  


The dog demon laughed. "I'm not. Don't worry."

  


"I believe he's preparing TV dinners because he could wait for you or I to come into the kitchen and cook something healthy," Sesshoumaru stated, coming up to stand beside the raven-haired girl. "He's not very patient when it comes to waiting for food."

  


Kagome noticed that her old master was paler than normal, and she frowned slightly in reaction. _'I hope that he's not sick. That would be bad.' _

  


Telonomaru scoffed at that. "I am too," he protested regally. "You have no proof to support that obscene accusation."

  


The taiyoukai raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you have to say about that?" He pointed at the TV dinner cooking in the microwave.

  


"I was hungry," the older dog demon explained. "What'd you expect me to do? Starve?"

  


Kagome shook her head sadly, laughing. She found it incredibly funny how he could defend himself and then blow all his arguments out of the water a moment later.

  


Sesshoumaru continued to give his cousin a skeptical look until he violently sneezed, which completely ruined the look. Quickly pulling out a handkerchief, he sneezed at least four times into the red material.

  


"Are you okay, Sesshoumaru?" the girl asked, concern in her voice.

  


"I am fine," he answered neutrally.

  


"You sound like you have a cold," she responded as he sneezed a few more times.

  


"Dog demons do not get colds," Sesshoumaru declared calmly.

  


Telonomaru chuckled. "Yes, they do, and you have one."

  


"I am not sick," the taiyoukai protested, looking very sure of himself until he had another sneezing attack.

  


"You didn't change out of your wet clothes soon enough," the older inu youkai stated, shaking his head sadly. "I warned you, but you didn't listen."

  


Sesshoumaru just growled at his cousin. "I am not sick," he repeated firmly.

  


"Yes, you are sick, Sesshoumaru," Kagome insisted, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "It'll alright if you admit it. Everyone becomes sick at least once in his or her life. A cold is nothing to be ashamed of."

  


"I am not ashamed of anything," he retorted.

  


The miko mentally sighed. _'Go figure. You involve a guy's pride, and he instantly goes on the defensive.'_

  


Telonomaru smiled. "Good. Then you can go lay down on the couch and watch some television while I fix you some soup."

  


_'Kami help us all if he cooks anything,'_ she thought, mentally groaning. "I'll fix Sesshoumaru some soup, Telonomaru-sama. You just eat your TV dinner," Kagome told him. "We don't want Sesshoumaru to become even more sick from eating your cooking."

  


The older dog demon had the grace to look embarrassed. "Good point. You make the soup," he agreed. "I'll push my stubborn cousin into the living room and force him to lie down."

  


"That would be most helpful. Thank you." She smiled gratefully as she began to search through the cabinets and fridge for everything she needed.

  


Sesshoumaru frowned as his older cousin began to lead him out of the kitchen. "I am not sick."

  


Telonomaru just laughed and ignored the other's protests.

  


Kagome giggled at the sight of her old master being dragged around by his cousin. It was pretty funny. _'Telonomaru-sama is so strange, but he seems to have a close relationship with Sesshoumaru. They were probably good friends before he turned into a matchmaker,' _she thought, going back to fixing the soup.

  


As the miko bustled about the kitchen, Telonomaru came back in, grabbed his TV dinner, gave her a quick compliment on her chef skills, and then left. He came back into the kitchen a few more times while she prepared everything. One time, he wanted a fork. Another time, he needed a glass of water because he had burnt his tongue. The third time he came in to place his dirty dishes in the sink. The fourth time he just stood in the doorway and watched her, trying to learn how to cook from watching her.

  


Ignoring the intruding dog demon as best as she could, she quietly hummed as she stirred the soup. It was almost done, which she was happy about. When the substance began to lightly boil, she turned off the stove and moved the pot off of the burner.

  


Still humming, Kagome took two bowls out of a cabinet, spooned some soup into them, and grabbed two spoons out of a drawer. She moved to take both hers and the patient's meal out to him, but Telonomaru stopped her.

  


"I'll take that to him if you want me to," he offered kindly. "That way, you can eat in here."

  


She shook her head. "No. I'll do it. I would like to eat with Sesshoumaru," she responded. "Thank you, though. I appreciate it, Telonomaru-sama."

  


"Okay then... may I have some soup?" the inu youkai asked.

  


The miko laughed. "The TV dinner wasn't very good, was it?" He shook his head. "It's fine. Have a bowl. I made plenty."

  


Smiling, he moved to do just that. "Thanks, Kagome."

  


"You're welcome," she answered as she left the kitchen, a bowl of soup in each hand.

  


Kagome walked into the living room, finding Sesshoumaru half-laying, half-sitting on the cream couch, a large red blanket wrapped around him. His tail poked out from underneath the blanket, the tip twitching, probably in annoyance. Silver hair spilled over the arm of the couch, about a foot of it flowing over the plush navy carpet. One clawed hand held a remote, pointing it at a 50 inch television set. The dog demon was currently flipping through the channels, pressing the buttons on the remote with the pad of his thumb.

  


The inu youkai turned as the girl entered the room, his eyes quickly going from irritated to soft. A small smile played on the corners of his lips, making him look even more handsome than usual.

  


"I brought you your soup, Sesshoumaru," she said, placing a bowl down on the vine-engraved oak coffee table in front of him.

  


"Thank you, Kagome," the dog demon replied. "However, this was not needed. I..." He sneezed. "Am not sick."

  


The miko giggled, setting her bowl of soup down near his and placing a bare wrist against his forehead. She pressed her other wrist to her own forehead. "You feel warm," she stated. "You're sick."

  


He sneezed violently three times into his handkerchief before he could speak. "Dog demons do not become sick," he insisted firmly. "And I am warm because inu youkai have a slightly higher temperature than humans do."

  


"They why do you appear paler than usual?" Kagome wanted to know, hands on hips. "You should be flushed from being cocooned in that blanket."

  


"Demon bodies react differently than human bodies do," Sesshoumaru retorted.

  


She scoffed at that. "Why? Why are they so different? You don't look all that different. Well, you do have a tail and those strange markings, but that's about it."

  


"You haven't seen my true demon form," he responded, sitting up a little more on the couch.

  


"True demon form?" the miko repeated, frowning thoughtfully. "You have a different form? Do all demons have different forms?"

  


_'She's a curious little thing,'_ he thought, amused. "Yes. My true demon form is a giant dog," Sesshoumaru informed her, intrigued that she didn't already know about full, powerful demons having two forms. "Not all demons have different forms. Mostly the royal, powerful, pure ones do."

  


"Oh..." Kagome nodded her head in understanding. "Now, Sesshoumaru, you should eat your soup before it becomes cold." She pointed at his bowl as she sat down on the couch next to him, picking back up her own bowl and beginning to eat.

  


Mentally chuckling at her, the dog demon did the same, sighing when he tasted the excellent meal. He was amazed at the flavor, finding the soup much better than anything else she had ever made... and that was saying a lot.

  


"What do you think, Sesshoumaru?" the black-haired girl asked after a few minutes, her gray-blue eyes fixed on his face. She patiently waited for an answer as he took another taste of the substance.

  


"This is the best meal you have ever made," Sesshoumaru told her honestly, a very small smile on his face. "I am impressed."

  


Kagome smiled brightly back at him, pleased with the sincere compliment. "Thank you!" she replied enthusiastically.

  


"You're welcome." The dog demon wrapped his tail around her waist and gently squeezed her in a makeshift hug. "You could possibly make a living off of this."

  


"Really?" Her eyes became wide, hope sparkling in their depths.

  


He nodded his head. "Yes. I do believe so."

  


"I can get a job at a restaurant downtown as a chef and work there for a while. And, if I save up enough money, maybe after a few years I might even be able to open my own eating place." She continued to talk about future plans in a bubbly manner, finishing off her soup at the same time.

  


After about fifteen minutes, Kagome stopped her planning. "Sesshoumaru, would you like some more to eat?" she asked politely.

  


The inu taiyoukai blinked, surprised at the abrupt change of subject. "No. I am fine."

  


"I'll talk the dishes into the kitchen then," she responded, stacking the empty bowls and standing up.

  


"Make Telonomaru wash them," Sesshoumaru suggested. "You made the soup, so he can clean up. It's only fair."

  


"If that is what you wish," Kagome replied, a slightly devious smile on her face.

  


_'She has a mischievous side to her. How interesting.' _ He returned the look. "That is what I wish."

  


"Very well then." She left the room, happily humming again.

  


Sesshoumaru shook his head in amusement and turned his attention to the television. It had been a while since he had done something as relaxing as watching a movie, so he went through all the channels before finally deciding to watch some kind of horror movie.

  


Kagome re-entered the living room after a few minutes. "Sesshoumaru, is there anything you would like?" she inquired.

  


He shook his head. "No," he responded. "Would you like to watch this movie with me though?"

  


"Sure." She curled up on the couch about a half foot away from him. With her legs folded to the side, she felt very comfortable. So, she turned her attention to the television.

  


Glancing at the miko out of the corner of his eye, he studied how quickly she became engrossed in the show. _'It has probably been many years since she has watched TV,'_ he thought. _'I wonder if watching a horror movie with her is the best thing. An action or comedy might have been better, but I believe that I will wait and see how she takes the blood and gore. The movie has yet to progress to that part.' _

  


When the violence came into the picture, Kagome sub-consciously scooted closer to Sesshoumaru, one hand burying itself in the thick fur of his tail. Fear entered her eyes, but the demon had a feeling that it wasn't because of what was literally on the TV. More than likely, she was remembering something in her past. She just didn't seem the type to tremble because of something that wasn't even real.

  


"Kagome, would you like to watch something else?" he asked, wrapping his tail around her for comfort. She nodded her head in response. "Okay then." Changing the channel and quickly finding a comedy to watch, he noticed the female relax; however, her hand stayed buried in his fur.

  


_'His tail's so soft...'_ The raven-haired girl petted the appendage as she watched the screen, laughter bubbling out of her mouth whenever something funny happened. Nightmares drifted away with the help of Sesshoumaru's presence and the hilarious movie.

  


Purring softly, the inu youkai allowed the girl to do as she wished. Normally, he would have fixed a glare on the person and pulled his tail away. With Kagome, though, things were different. He didn't mind the attention she was giving him.

  


Kagome continued to pet his tail all through the movie... and even through the next one until she fell asleep, her head resting on Sesshoumaru's blanket-covered thigh, some of his tail fur clutched in her hand.

  


He smiled gently at her as she gave a happy sigh and snuggled up a little closer to him. _'She is adorable like this,' _he thought, caressing her silky hair. _'Such a precious, delicate looking girl with a hidden fire. She is priceless.'_

  


Content with where he was, Sesshoumaru moved Kagome off of his thigh so he could lay down. Once he was comfortable, he nestled her against his chest. He fell asleep breathing in the miko's sweet scent and feeling her heart beat near his.

  


Alia: Yes, my story is a little unrealistic. And you're for Inuyasha and Varice? I'm debating about their relationship. Considering someone flamed me for adding her, I've been seriously thinking about having them actually hook up. (I'm vindictive) And yes, Hojo and Onigumo have already had their butts kicked. I just didn't mention too much about it. I might just have to go back and fix that later; however, I really didn't want to describe Sesshoumaru dealing with his two lying employees.

  


Ruu-chan: Thank you, Ruu-chan! *hugs her* And I don't when the kiss is going to come in. Hopefully soon. Geez, I take a long time to actually get to the romance.

  


Tessa3: I'm not sure if I'll actually, physically introduce Tessa, but she'll at least be mentioned. *giggles* Sorry, I find it a little funny that someone has become so attached to my OC that isn't even a main character. People have said that they like Telonomaru, but no one has ever said that they liked him as much as you. And I'm glad I've made you happy. You're a faithful reviewer, and you earned it.

  


Kagome takes over the wor: I'm pleased that you took my advice. That should help your story some and make it easier to read.

  


InvisibleRain: You missed Telonomaru? Well, do you feel better that he was in this chappie? I liked their little "moments" too. They were so sweet. :)

  


Sukuri: There's nothing wrong with analyzing my story. And thanks for the compliment about my descriptions. I tried to make them good enough that my readers could visualize things.

  


KyouFan17: Sorry about things being so boring. I'm hoping to get back to the action soon. I just gotta get Sesshoumaru and Kagome together. My Sess-chan clone has been helping me, as has Sigmund, my other muse.

  


Hamaguri: I sent you the teaser, and if anyone else wants it, I'll send it to them. :)

  


Inu-Anime: Thanks for the compliment. Kagome cut herself on a very, very, very sharp rock.

  


Sukera: Ummm... he's a rocket launcher with a targeting system. *hands it to Sukera-chan* Try this. It'll probably help.

  


Magiabruxa: Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.

  


Luffy: Best chappie yet? Wow. I feel so special. *hugs Luffy-chan*

  


Fluffyluver07: I would love to visit the garden as well. It's so beautiful. My descriptions in my story didn't even match what I saw in my head. *huggles back*

  


Sesshoumarulover: Yes, Kagome is very lucky. She gets Sesshoumaru. Well, I have a clone, so I can't complain too much. My Sess-chan is wonderful. ^_^

  


Leashy-chan: Thanks for the compliment. I've been trying to put in some more fluff. My story needs it.

  


Ami: You're welcome. I'm glad you like the pic. Oh, I don't think I have your email addy. Could you give it to me or send me an email? Once I have it, I'll send you the teaser.

  


My-Name-is-Spoken: Yep. He is protective of her. Ya gotta love it. :) I most certainly do. And I'm glad to hear that I helped improve your mood.

  


Silverstone: I received the pic, and thank you. I love it. *hugs Silverstone-chan*

  


Dragon of Sesshoumaru: First off, awesome name! I love it! There will be more stuff about Inuyasha later. Promise. Sango and Miroku have to go on another date, ya know.

  


Candygurl51: Yes, I'll continue to update. Don't worry.

  


Rei Akita: There will be more romance soon enough. Be patient. I like to take my time with things.

  


Sakura onto Hitomi: Yea! Cookies! Thanks! *hugs Sakura-chan* I love them. I'll update as soon as I can, promise!

  


Kyia Star: She was injured on a rock.

  


Dianefallahan: Yep. Plot thickens. It's going to become even thicker once they leave the castle.

  


Kittymui: Congrats on passing. You did a good job. I'm impressed. I have to take two tests today: Calculus and Spanish IV. Wish me luck.

  


Ichigo: Yes, they're coming around. Give them a little more time, and they'll be closer than you can imagine.

  


Kaoru-chan: Si, Kagome y Sesshoumaru son muy romantico. Estoy de acuerdo con tu. ^_^ Haberé mas Inuyasha en otros chappies (lo siento, pero no se como dicer chappie en español). Yo no soy bueno en leyendo reviews en español. I'm sorry, but my Spanish isn't near as good as I thought it was. I stink at vocabulary. Grammer is more my thing, and that even isn't so good. Well, I'll talk to you later. Keep writing your reviews in Spanish if you want. Maybe I'll get better with practice. Gracias.

  


Raining Fire: Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it a lot.

  


Keala-Chick: Thanks for the compliment.

  


Galaorton: Yes, I missed you. And... I might write a book one day. I don't know. This one is certainly getting long enough that if I changed the characters and such I could possibly publish it. ^_^

  


Kagome: HEY KAGOME-CHAN! I think that Sesshoumaru is becoming very attached to you. I've already become attached to my Sess-chan clone. (I've taken to calling the real Sesshoumaru by his full name and my clone by Sess-chan. It's less confusing). And I do believe that you terrified all potential flamers. *giggles* Well, thanks for that. *hugs Kagome-chan* I appreciate it. You're my absolute favorite reviewer. I always look forward to your reviews. They're so funny. :) Oh, and tell me why Sesshoumaru wanted you in his room. I'm dying to know.

  


The Girl Who Cried Oro: Yep. Cute Sess/Kag moment.

  


Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: Thank you. I appreciate you saying that I'm a good authoress. Writing fanfics so much as improved my skills drastically.

  


Smiley-chan: She cut her leg on a rock.

  


Sam: Yes, water wars again. I do love them so much. *hugs Sam for remembering the other story*

  


Yanou: I love Inuyasha's ears too. And my next Inuyasha fanfic is going to be I/K. If you want, I can send you a teaser. :)

  


Bubblesbb03: Thank you. I'm glad you liked the chappie so much.


	19. Author's Note: Very important: Please r...

Okay, this is a note to everyone. I'm thinking about removing this story, doing some serious re-writing on it, removing Kagome's bracelet, changing the characters to original ones, and posting this on fictionpress. I would like to be able to publish this story someday (maybe), so this is why I'm seriously considering doing all this. However, if there is a big enough negative reaction from all of you, I might not do this. Whatever your answer is, I am going to do some work on this story and remove the idea of the bracelet. Too many people are accusing me of stealing the idea from Rasberries, and I want to change that.  
  
So, this story is on hiatus until I get a few responses. Sorry (especially to my faithful reviewers) and thanks for being so supportive of this story.  
  
The responses to the reviews are below.  
  
Flowerblossom: Thanks, and Sesshoumaru doesn't actually have a tail in the show. I changed that fluffy thing on his shoulder to his tail.  
  
Lyrlythe: Well, if you're obsessed with Sess/Kag pairings, then I suggest To Bear Witness by Striking Falcon... not to mention her other stories. They're really good.  
  
sesshou&inufan: Varice is going to stay in this story, even if I end up posting this on fictionpress. And I love Striking Falcon too. :)  
  
silvermoonkiss11: Thanks for the compliment.  
  
GodOfTheWired: I do not like Naraku at all, and there is a good chance that I'll kill him if I continue this story. Sorry, but that's the truth. I have nothing against any Naraku fans, but I don't like Naraku. He is downright evil. If it makes you feel any better, I don't like the walking- dead miko Kikyou.  
  
Lightdestiny: Almost midnight? Eeeep. That's late. Well, I thank you for reviewing.  
  
Purple Witchy Angel: Yes, Telonomaru is a very bad cook, but that's okay. I love him anyway b/c he's so funny.  
  
InvisibleRain: Yep, he's back. Ummm... Kagome was just remembering some bad stuff. I'll cover it in later chappies... if I get there. And forget about the bracelet. I'm removing it from the story. Naraku is still out there. He's coming back... eventually.  
  
En Satsu Koku Ryuu Ha: You ain't worth talking to.  
  
mortimal: Varice is a little annoying, but you haven't seen every side to her. She's a bodyguard for a reason, and I'm hoping to reveal that reason soon enough.  
  
Alia: Sweet and innocent? *blinks* My story? Interesting.  
  
Azurro Brass: Yes, people give me shit about this story. As of this last chappie, two people have done so, and I have just about had it. I am a vindictive person, and when someone insults me or my stories, I immediately go on the defensive. I can not stand being insulted, especially when it is about something I have worked hard on.  
  
Shin1: Yes, my statement in chappie two is still valid. If I continue this story, then I will email anyone who wants me to.  
  
fluffy's 1 girl: Inuyasha and Varice might just be paired together. I'm certainly leaning towards that.  
  
michellebabygirljazz: Thanks  
  
silverstone: I love Sesshoumaru as well. He's absolutely awesome.  
  
My-Name-is-Spoken: It's usually spelled kawaii, with two i's, but that's okay. I got the point. And of course you're not crazy. Although, I do have to admit that I am.  
  
Mika Sorano: It was kinda cute. Hopefully, possible later chappies will be even cuter.  
  
spontaneousxhumanxcombustion: *sighs* If I do write more chapters, then yes, there will be more fluff. Promise.  
  
Yami Yuugi Lover AKA Kiyo: Huh? You've confused me. What are you shouting "Inu/Kag!" for? This is a Sess/Kag story.  
  
Fairyangel24: Thanks for reviewing.  
  
magiabruxa: Short but sweet review. Thanks.  
  
Kagome: Kagome-chan, I think that you need to do something about Sesshoumaru. Ummm... Hmmm... let me think of something. It might take me a while, but I will. Oh, and I really want to thank you for your constant support. You have no idea how much it means to me. Your reviews are the best, and I don't know what I would do without them. *hugs Kagome-chan* I might just continue this story to read more of your funny reviews.  
  
Rei Akita: Thanks. :)  
  
dragon hitokiri: Thanks for your support. When I first started reading fanfiction, I didn't think that I would like Sess/Kag pairings either, but I quickly grew to love them. There's just something about them...  
  
Enchanted Faerie: Yes, Sess-chan is very hott, and I do believe that I have sent you the teaser. Tell me if I haven't.  
  
Galalorton: I would love to read it. Whenever you get a chance, send it to me. And what's my "winzors" story? I don't remember anything like that.  
  
Sukera: I have done it, haven't I? Cool. Goody for me. Oh, and if you need bigger weaponry, come visit me. I'll see what I can do.  
  
tessa3: *laughs softly* Yes, perhaps Sesshoumaru would act like Telonomaru if so much hadn't happened to him.  
  
Hamaguri: The whole chappie? Wow. And you're welcome. I didn't mind sending you the teaser at all. 


	20. Chapter 19

CotA: Hey people! I'm back with a new chappie! I've decided to continue this story thanks to the responses many of my reviewers sent me. I never, even in my wildest dreams, ever expected so many people to react so... vehemently towards the removal of this story. I've also decided to remove the bracelet from this story. I am, at the moment, going through each and every chappie and tweaking them. I haven't changed them too much. All you need to know is that Kagome has a spell on her instead of a bracelet.

Sigmund: Oooh. That's so original, CotA.

CotA: Oh, shut up, Sigmund. The spell makes her want to obey commands, and it makes her happy every time she does obey. Basically, she lives to serve. The only thing is, once she gains a new master, she can look back on the things she did with her old master with a clear mind. Needless to say, she isn't all that happy with herself or her old masters.

Sess-chan: Don't forget that the spell wasn't removed when Sesshoumaru freed her.

CotA: Thanks, Sess-chan. *pauses* Now that was freaky. Sess-chan talking about Sesshoumaru. Well, they are two different people so... *shrugs* Oh, on to the chappie!

  


.

  


.

  


Kagome awoke to the sensation of being warm and safe. Something silky was intertwined with her fingers, and she could hear a heart beating near her head.

  


Her eyes fluttered open, revealing just where she was and who she was with. _'This is the second time I've woken up next to him,'_ she thought with some amusement. _'And truthfully, it's not so bad. Actually, it's pretty nice. I think the location makes all the difference. Since we're in the living room instead of the bedroom, it feels more innocent and natural.'_

  


Yawning, the miko pulled her silk-filled hand up to her cheek, rubbing the softness against her skin. After a few seconds, she realized just what was so soft. _'Oh my... it's his tail!'_ She almost giggled like a child. _ 'I slept with his tail clutched in my hand.' _ She shrugged, the idea not really bothering her in the least.

  


_'I wonder... is Sesshoumaru still asleep?'_ Releasing his tail, Kagome looked up at the inu youkai's face to find his golden eyes closed. He appeared to be asleep, and his slowing rising and falling chest made that appearance seem all the more likely. Bright sunlight streaming in through the living room window, highlighting his head like an angel and making his silver hair sparkle.

  


_'He looks so perfect...'_ She moved her body back a few inches so she could look at him better. The instant she did that, a white-clad arm slid around her back to press her against him once more.

  


Kagome blinked in surprise. "Sesshoumaru, are you awake?" she asked softly.

  


"No, I'm dead asleep," he responded with a yawn, revealing a row of perfect pearly whites and a pink tongue, complete with fanged eyeteeth.

  


"Oh. Sorry," she replied. "So, what's with the arm?"

  


"I thought you were about to fall off the couch." The dog demon flicked Kagome's cheek with the tip of his tail. "I believe that you would have had an adverse reaction to being awoken by a plunge to the floor."

  


The raven-haired girl smiled sweetly at that. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. That was very kind of you."

  


"You're very welcome," Sesshoumaru replied with a small smile. "It is nice to wake up to you without all the yelling."

  


Blushing from embarrassment, she adverted her eyes for a moment. "Ummm... I do apologize for that."

  


The dog demon chuckled, gently squeezing her with the one arm he had wrapped around her back. "That is the second time you have apologized," he commented. "Once was more than enough."

  


"If you say so, Sesshoumaru," Kagome responded, yawning softly. "So, what are we going to do today?"

  


"Well, I'm going to spend the morning and afternoon in my office," the inu youkai answered, instantly receiving a frown from the miko. "I will take a break after supper. We can play chess or something if you so desire."

  


"But you were sick," Kagome protested. "You should spend the rest of your day relaxing, not working!"

  


"I'm fine," Sesshoumaru insisted, smiling in amusement. "I feel perfectly healthy." He sighed at her continued frown. "Very well. I won't work today."

  


Finally smiling, the raven-haired girl wiggling out of his grasp and got off of the couch. "So, how do cinnamon rolls sound for breakfast?" she asked sweetly, blue-gray eyes sparkling happily.

  


"They sound excellent," the inu youkai answered simply. _'She's happy now, all because I promised not to work today. Amazing. The smallest things seem to please her.'_

  


"Okay then. I'll go make some. You can stay here and watch TV or something," Kagome began to leave the living room. "I'll be back in a bit."

  


With that said, she was gone.

  


~*~

  


Kagome walked into the kitchen to find Telonomaru there, talking on the phone. She stayed near the doorway, out of sight, as he continued to converse with whoever was on the other side.

  


"Sorry, Tessa, honey, I've been trying to get Sesshoumaru and this girl together," the dog demon said. He was quiet for a few moments. "Yes, they're both being stubborn." He paused. "Yes, I've tried everything I could possibly think of." Another pause. "I see. Well, then I guess I'd better head home today. I'll just give one last-ditch effort to get them together and then I'll leave." He was quiet for a moment. "I'll see you tonight for supper. Love you... Bye."

  


Telonomaru hung up the phone and turned around, only to find the miko watching him with interest. "Oh, hello, Kagome. Good morning. How did you sleep?"

  


"Morning, Telonomaru-sama," she responded. "I slept very well. Thank you for asking." She began to pull ingredients out of cabinets. "So, who is Tessa?" She was very curious, especially since she had never heard the name before.

  


"My wife." The inu youkai smiled, his eyes filled with more love than Kagome had ever dreamt possible.

  


_'He loves her with all his heart, much like my parents loved each other,'_ she mused. "What is she like?" the raven-haired girl asked as she poured the dry ingredients into a bowl.

  


"She's a sweetheart with spunk," he answered. "Tessa is a pretty good cook too." Sighing happily, he reached out with one finger and tried to stick it in the bowl.

  


Kagome smacked his hand with the spatula she was using to stir. "No touchy."

  


"I don't know what I'd do without her." He rubbed the hand she had hit, trying to look pathetic. He succeeded; however, the girl didn't care. She knew that he was just playing around.

  


"Does she let you stick your fingers in the food while she's fixing it?" the miko wanted to know, frowning slightly in annoyance. _'You'd think that he had learned his lesson the last time I hit him with a spoon.'_

  


Telonomaru shook his head. "She doesn't even let me in the kitchen. That's HER domain, not mine."

  


Laughing softly, Kagome continued to prepare the cinnamon rolls. "I think I would like her. She sounds smart."

  


"I have a feeling that Tessa would like you too."

  


~*~

  


Half an hour later, Kagome left Telonomaru in the kitchen with two rolls as she went out into the living room with the rest. She gave Sesshoumaru two rolls as she ate the last two. They talked as they ate, enjoying themselves.

  


When they were almost done with their breakfast, Telonomaru came out into the living room, smiling devilishly.

  


"What do you want?" Sesshoumaru asked, sounding suspicious.

  


The older dog demon chuckled. "Well, I have to leave today. Tessa wants me to come home."

  


"Considering how little time you like to spend separated from her, I'm surprised that you spent as much time here as you did," the taiyoukai of the Western lands stated.

  


He nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's true; however, before I leave, I want you two to do something."

  


Kagome narrowed her eyes, not liking what he had just said. "And what exactly is that?"

  


"Kiss. I want you two to kiss," Telonomaru answered simply, the smile on his face growing.

  


Eyes wide, the miko could merely stare. _ 'He wants me to do WHAT? Is he off his rocker? There is no way that Sesshoumaru is going to kiss me.'_

  


"And why is that?" Sesshoumaru asked, tone calm. _'I was expecting something like this eventually. I'm just surprised that it happened so soon.'_

  


"You two would make the perfect couple, and I want to make sure that you two realize it before I leave." The older dog demon sat down in one of the chairs. "One of the best ways to do that is to have you guys kiss."

  


The other demon sighed and shook his head sadly. "You are pathetic, cousin."

  


"You want me to leave, don't you?" he countered.

  


Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, I do."

  


"Then you two need to kiss," Telonomaru insisted.

  


Turning to the miko, the younger inu youkai studied her face. She was in shock, which really didn't surprise him. His cousin had just dropped a bomb on her, figuratively speaking, of course. _ 'Poor girl. Telonomaru never has been the best at being subtle.'_ He mentally sighed as he tapped her on the shoulder. "Kagome..."

  


She jumped, startled by the sudden jolt back to reality. "Yes, Sesshoumaru?" She turned to look at him, her blue-gray eyes locked onto his golden ones.

  


"What do you want to do about him?" Sesshoumaru inquired, pointing at his cousin.

  


"Well, since you want him gone, we could just kiss," she suggested, voice soft and sweet. _ 'It's the least I can do since he's been so kind to me. He's freed me, taken care of me, and been a friend to me. Besides, I have a feeling that I'd enjoy it... a lot.' _

  


"I won't kiss you if you don't want me to," the taiyoukai told her.

  


Telonomaru sighed in exasperation. "You're being stubborn."

  


Kagome rolled her eyes. "Just kiss me, okay?" she stated. "I want you to."

  


"Are you sure?" Sesshoumaru didn't want to take advantage of her, especially since he had promised her that he wouldn't force himself on her.

  


The miko just briefly laughed in amusement and then pressed her lips to his, her eyes instantly closing. She had meant for the kiss to be short, but something about the inu youkai kept her there. Never before had she kissed a guy just because she had wanted to. It was a new experience for her.

  


His lips massaged hers, sending small waves of pleasure through her body, making her smile on the inside. She could taste the cinnamon on him and smell his intoxicating scent. One clawed hand automatically drew her closer while the other cupped her cheek. Her petite hands rested on his chest, enjoying the feeling of his muscles beneath her fingertips.

  


Telonomaru tried his best to keep silent for as long as possible. After a few moments, he couldn't help but whistle. "Go, Kagome!" he exclaimed, smiling.

  


Blushing a bright red, the miko pulled out of the kiss, unable to say a single word. _'Oh my dear Kami. That was... unbelievable.'_

  


Sesshoumaru gave an almost inaudible growl, annoyed that his cousin had interrupted him and the girl. _'Couldn't he have remained quiet for just a little bit longer?' _ he mentally asked himself. Instead of verbally yelling at his cousin, the inu youkai smiled softly at the raven-haired girl. "Kagome, are you alright?" he inquired.

  


Kagome nodded her head, still blushing for all she was worth. "Yes, I do believe so, Sesshoumaru."

  


"You have no reason to be embarrassed. If anyone does, then it's Telonomaru for being so rude as to whistle," Sesshoumaru informed her comfortingly.

  


"Is he going to leave now?" she wanted to know. _'If he could just leave, then I might not feel so mortified.'_

  


"Yes, he is."

  


Telonomaru raised his hands innocently. "I'll go pack now." Chuckling, he began to stroll off, an amused look in his eyes. "I'll check up on you two in a few days though. Tessa is most definitely going to want to know what's going on between you two." Then, he disappeared from view.

  


Groaning, Kagome buried her face in her hands. "Sorry, Sesshoumaru."

  


"For what?" the inu youkai inquired, surprise in his voice.

  


"For kissing you like that." She sounded ashamed of herself.

  


He laughed, amazed at how easily he could laugh around the girl. "Don't be sorry." Putting a comforting arm around her, he used a hand to lift her chin and raise her eyes to meet his. "It is fine. You did nothing wrong."

  


"Really?" Kagome asked. "Then why am I so embarrassed?"

  


"Because you were caught doing something intimate with another person," Sesshoumaru answered. "Most people would be embarrassed."

  


"You don't seem to be," she pointed out, her blush receding.

  


"That's because I was half-way prepared for him to do that," he told her. "I was expecting that whistle from him."

  


"Oh." Her skin color back to normal, she stood up and gathered up their dirty dishes. "After I take care of these, can we play chess?"

  


Sesshoumaru mentally breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't going to run and hide. "Yeah. Sure. I would love to play chess with you."

  


.

  


~*~

  


.

  


marioman: I'll keep this story here, and I'll even finish it. The original story can come later.

  


shanaka: I'll put this on fictionpress eventually. It'll take me a while to change and fix up. However, once it is on there, I really hope that everyone will love it as much as Bonds of Slavery.

  


Purple Witchy Angel: Relax. I ain't gonna remove it. I will change it a bit though. Not too much, so don't worry. 

  


mkh2: I removed the bracelet, but don't worry. There will be a small plot twist later on, and I can promise you that Naraku is going to show up at least once more. 

  


Inuchick16: Yes, I'm crazy, but let's not go there. I'd have to be insane to try and write so many stories at once. *sighs* And you don't need to threaten me, really you don't. I respond better to bribery.

  


sesshou&inufan: I thought about for a long time, and I obviously decided to keep it on. And I've read all of Striking Falcon's stories, even the ones on Mediaminer. 

  


shadowcat: Sorry, but I highly doubt that you'll be able to find me and hurt me. If you do, then have fun dealing with Rajah, my pet tiger, and Sess-chan, my Sesshoumaru clone. Both of them will protect me.

  


Lyrlythe: It's okay. *pats Lyrlythe's head* Everything will be just fine. The story is staying, so there's no reason to cry.

  


Flowerblossom: Thanks for your support. It's nice to know that you would be there for me no matter I had decided. I really appreciate it. Bijin-chan: *huggles Bijin-chan back* You really don't need to check my story every day. I don't update that often. Once a week will probably be enough.

  


Holly: Awww... please don't cry. I'm not removing the story.

  


Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: You are one of the most easy-going people I have ever met. You just simply seemed to accept my decision no matter what. I do thank you for that. Oh, BTW, I would have been sad to see this story go to. I love it so much...

  


Kitten Siren: I remember Armageddon but not Into the Deep. I'm not a big movie person. Still, thanks for the supportive review. You made perfect sense to me. The advice was excellent, and I'll make sure to remember it for all time. *hugs Kitten Siren* Thanks so much. Oh, what is WEM?

  


Kira: Calm down. There's no need to get so defensive on my behalf. I appreciate it, though.

  


Ruu-chan: Telonomaru has silvery-white hair and golden eyes. He doesn't have the facial markings like Sesshoumaru. His hair isn't as long as Sesshoumaru's either. The hair and eye color is the end of the similarities between the dog demons. Well, thanks for the review. *hugs Ruu-chan*

  


Inu-Anime: Ummm... No offense, but I'm a girl, not a "dude." I know that my name can kinda be either gender, but I am most definitely a girl. And I am going to leave this story on here. BTW, I think that your uncle is pretty funny. I've never heard that little piece of "wisdom," but I found it hilarious.

  


Enchanted Faerie: Well, I'll eventually rewrite this story and hopefully publish it. I'm praying that I'll be able to. I've worked so hard on it. *sigh* If I don't get to, I won't worry too much about it. I have other stories that I might be able to publish later. Animegirl123: I'm a hopeless romantic too.

  


Nankinmai: I am going to remove the bracelet from the story; however, I agree with you 100%. I have to have some kind of restaint on Kagome, otherwise she would have run away a long time ago. She's a strong person, and something has to present to keep her from simply escaping or defying her master.

  


Raining Fire: You're laughing at poor Sesshoumaru? Awwww... *sniffles* Poor Sesshoumaru. I felt sorry for him b/c I made him sick.

  


Seiyo-san: I'm not gonna delete it, so just relax. It'll be okay.

  


Kagome: Kagome-chan, darling, it's okay. Really. *hugs Kagome-chan* I promise that I'll continue this story. There's no reason for you to cry. Please, please stop crying. I really didn't mean to make you cry. *hugs Kagome-chan again* Just calm down. I promise to update as soon as I can, okay? *smiles softly* C'mon. It'll be okay. Cross my heart.

  


Sam: I'm gonna finish this story before I change it to an original.

  


Matt Ikazou: Gran dios sobre. Okay. I'll continue. Just... calm down, please.

  


Inuyashachic515: I'm not taking this story away. It isn't going anywhere.

  


InvisibleRain: I thought the whole restraint idea was a common idea as well. *shrugs* Oh well. I'm just gonna use a different idea.

  


Kaoru-chan: I'm taking out the bracelet, although I didn't think it was too mean. It was just a fact of life for Kagome.

  


Trysh: It's covered under what copyright laws? I do need to finish this story though, and that's one of the things that's driving me at the moment. So, I'm going to keep going on with this story.

  


TheStrifeofChaos: I'll try my best to keep up the hard work. I'm sure that my two muses will do the same.

  


Raining Fire: *ahem* Well, that was an interesting review to read. But you can relax, I'm not taking the story down and I'm not going to stop writing.

  


Kittymui: I've already started re-writing it and such. The first... five chappies have already been changed and posted. Yeah for me!

  


Trekkie-54: I don't believe that Rasberries has ever read my story. She certainly has never reviewed or anything.

  


Ruu-chan: You got your kiss, so are you at least a little happier? And no, I did not steal the idea. I just went through a simple logic process. You have a slave; slave needs to be bound to master since said slave is too strong not to run away; binding needs to be magical since slave is a miko; binding needs to be removable. I figured that a physical binding would be the simpliest to see and the easiest to remove. However, since so many people have been accusing me of stealing Rasberries' idea, I changed it. Now, there is no physical binding. It might make the removal a little more difficult, but it should be okay.

  


Kang Lin: I know that you don't care, but other people who think I'm copying do care. I hate being accused of copying, and I like to be original, so I just decided to change the detail that I've been accused of stealing. So, all is better now.

  


Encourager: I have you all in a cell? Dang, I'm sorry. I didn't know. *blinks* Okay, well, the story is staying. BTW, that was an... interesting analogy.

  


Inulover: I'm not changing the storyline, just one small detail.

  


Rei Akita: Okay. I'll finish this story first.

  


Tom: Ummm... you lost me. Sorry, but you did.

  


Lightdestiny: It not being midnight is good.

  


Hera goddess: I'm not going to stop this one, so there's no reason to yell.

  


Fluffy's 1 girl: I'm not going to remove the story, promise.

  


Puppkid: No, I've never gone on Inuyasha.net; however, I think I'll do that today. It's probably pretty cool.

  


Galalorton: I won't remove this story or forget about it.

  


Nevheera: I will put a modified version of this story up on fictionpress eventually. Don't worry about that. It just might take me a while.

  


shorty40: I'm gonna do just that, so relax and enjoy.

  


Tennyo: I'm gonna change it just a little.

  


LadyPhoenix588: I'm not gonna remove it.

  


Nori Ryeko: *laughing* Copying may be the highest form of flattery, but no one wants to have their story copied. Besides, I have no desire to copy someone's story or even be accused of it. To prevent future accusations, I'm removing the bracelets.

  


Sukuri: Yep, last chappie was a filler chap. Sorry about that, but... oh, well. I kinda needed it as a transition chappie for this one!

  


BIG fan: I didn't change the story all THAT much, so you don't need to cry.

  


Tyrell: It's going to pretty much stay the way it is.

  


Junyortrakr: Yep. Defenses are going down...

  


Moondust: I wasn't too attached to the bracelet idea either, which is one reason I can change it.

  


LilAznAngel: Darling, I've been going through and editing my story since I started. It's one of the things I do. I've been constantly trying to improve this story.

  


Kuramasmate1: Uhhh... the address is www (dot) fictionpress (dot) com. I believe that there is a link to it on the ff.net homepage.

  


Clow Angel: I was serious, but that's not going to happen. The story is staying.

  


Sarah: You'll eventually find out what's gonna happen.

  


Playwrite-Chailyn: Story is staying.

  


Alia: I'm not that much of a feminist; however, when I change this over to an original, I won't be turning the girl into... some female version of Rambo or anything. If you like that kinda character, then you might wanna find a different story. No offense, but this story is not going to have a butt-kicking Kagome.

  


Pastamaker: Yes, YuYu Hakusho does rock. I love it soooo much.

  


Cherry-petals: Thank. I appreciate the compliment. 


	21. Chapter 20

Telonomaru left the castle after saying a quick good-bye to both his cousin and the miko, and, being true to his word, he did call after a few days to see how Sesshoumaru and Kagome were getting along without him. The two had become much closer, and Sesshoumaru was beginning to think that he was in love with Kagome; however, he wasn't about to tell anyone that, not even the miko herself. Kagome unknowingly shared the same feelings as the dog demon, and she went about them the same way. Not one person besides own mind and heart knew that she was falling for the inu taiyoukai. 

  


Despite the fact that they were hiding their feelings, they spent a good deal of time together. Kagome prepared the meals and only allowed Sesshoumaru to work in the mornings. After lunch, she always forced him to take a break, and during the afternoon and evening they often talked, walked around the garden, played chess, or just watched television together.

  


When their second Friday in the castle rolled around, Sesshoumaru decided to take Kagome out to eat. When he casually dropped the idea, the miko had instantly brightened up and given him a hug and a kiss. Of course, with that reaction, he had whole-heartedly told her exactly where he was planning on taking her.

  


"It's a old-fashioned restaurant in one of the older sections of town. All the women who go there wear kimonos, and the men wear haoris or kimono shirts and hamaka pants," Sesshoumaru informed her. "I'm going to wear the royal garb of the Lord of the Western Lands."

  


"Can I wear the kimono that Telonomaru-sama showed me and let me try on?" Kagome asked enthusiastically, eyes sparkling. "It was so pretty."

  


The inu youkai mentally sighed as he smiled and nodded. "Yes, you may." _'I just hope that no one recognizes the significance of her kimono... at least, I think I hope that.' _

  


"Thank you, Sesshoumaru!" She threw her arms around him and gave him a quick hug. "When do we leave?"

  


"We have to leave in an hour," he said, returning the hug.

  


"Okay," the miko chirped, blue-gray eyes shining with happiness. "I'd better go get ready then." With a smile and a kiss on the cheek, she was gone.

  


~*~

  


"C'mon, Sango-chan!" Varice shouted from the bottom of the stairs. "The guys just got here, and if we don't hurry, then we're gonna be late and lose our table." The blond tugged irritably on her lavender obi, her violet purple kimono just brushing the floor. She had pulled her hair into a tight bun, complete with jeweled hair pins for accessories. Silver eye-shadow graced her eyelids, and light pink lipstick completed her ensemble.

  


"I'll be down in a second!" the girl called back.

  


The blue-eyed girl sighed sadly as a knock came from the door. Moving gracefully, she opened the door, revealing Inuyasha dressed in a red haori and Miroku in an old-fashioned black and purple priest outfit.

  


"Well, don't you two look spiffy," she commented, smiling. "Especially you, Inuyasha-kun."

  


"Thanks. You do too," the hanyou replied.

  


Miroku looked around, frowning slightly. "Where is Lady Sango? Is she not ready yet?"

  


Varice shook her head. "I'm afraid not, but why don't you guys come on in and wait for her. She should be down really soon... I hope." She stepped to the side to allow them to enter, closing the door behind them.

  


The three went into the living room, Miroku sitting down in a chair while the other two chose opposite sides of the couch. They made small talk for a few moments, until Inuyasha was caught staring at Varice.

  


"Inuyasha, it seems you have your eyes glued to the lovely, helpless lady sitting near you. Perhaps you should explain why." The black-haired man smiled innocently.

  


The hanyou blushed. "I was not staring at her," he protested.

  


"And I am not helpless," Varice added, leaping off the couch as she pulled a sakura-patterned, metal- ribbed fan out of her obi. In a instant, she had it pointed at Miroku's throat, an millimeter away from his skin. A small, victorious smile played on her lips. "See? I'm not helpless." She moved back to sit on the couch, putting away the fan.

  


"What was that?" Inuyasha inquired, watching the blonde with curiosity in his eyes.

  


"That, my dear friends, was a _shukusen_, a lady fan. It's a silk fan with steel ribs that have been sharpened on both sides and at one end." She pulled the weapon back out to point to exactly what she was describing. "Ladies used to carry these when they didn't want anyone to know that they actually carried a weapon. I have found it handy in close combat and much easier to conceal than a sword or a knife."

  


"Do you always carry around weapons?" Miroku asked, shaking his head in amusement. The blond girl was dangerous, just like his Lady Sango.

  


"Usually, yes. I've made quite a few enemies while protecting people, and I don't want to give anyone a chance to kill me," Varice answered.

  


The one-time monk chuckled. "And I thought you were a slight ditz the first time I met you."

  


"I have to admit that I am a very small one, but that attitude is more of a defense to throw people off." She shrugged, her blue eyes shifting to look at the stairs for a brief moment before returning to the two males.

  


"So you acted like a ditz around us to throw us off?" Inuyasha asked, although it sounded more like a statement. "It's nice to know that you trust us and Sango." His tone was so thickly laced with sarcasm that the others were surprised that he didn't choke on it.

  


Varice broke out laughing at that remark. "I mostly acted like that with you guys because I was comfortable around you both." Her bright smile practically lit up the room. "Sango has good taste in friends."

  


"Well, that's okay then, I guess," the hanyou replied with a small shrug. If the girl wanted to act a little ditzy around him, then so be it. He didn't mind all that much. To tell the truth, he found it a little refreshing. The blonde acted more like a naive little girl than anyone else he had ever met, well... she acted like that as long as no one called her helpless.

  


"What's okay?" Sango asked as she walked down the stairs in a rose pink kimono with black designs all over it. A black obi with gold etching held the clothing closed, and her black hair had been done up in an elegant knot at the crown of her head. Red eye-shadow tinted her eyelids, and light red lip-gloss colored her lips.

  


"You look like an angel that has fallen from heaven, Lady Sango," Miroku stated as he walked up to her, took her hand, and kissed it.

  


The raven-haired girl blushed slightly. "Thank you, Miroku." She paused. "And aren't you supposed to be in a kimono of some sort?"

  


The electrician shrugged. "I decided to honor my family and wear my father's old uniform. This may not be a kimono, but it is still old-fashioned and nice enough to wear to this restaurant."

  


"Well, that certainly was sweet of you, Houshi-sama," Varice commented. "However, we need to get going now. I most definitely do not want to lose our table."

  


"OH! You're right." Sango grabbed her purse and headed towards the door, stopping just long enough to glance at the people still in the living room. "Are you guys coming or not?"

  


"We're right behind you, Sango-chan," the blonde called after her friend, grabbing Inuyasha's hand. "C'mon, Inuyasha-kun. It's finally time to go."

  


"Alright, alright. I'm coming already!" the hanyou grumbled in response.

  


Miroku just chuckled as he followed the others out the door.

  


~*~

  


"Kagome, it's time to go," Sesshoumaru stated as he knocked on the bathroom door. "We're going to be late if we don't leave now."

  


"Okay, Sesshoumaru," the miko called back, opening the door to reveal her kimono-clad body to him. She had pulled her ebony tresses into an intricate French twist at the back of her head, letting a few locks frame her face. Sparkling bobby pins helped hold the hairdo in place and gave a little extra definition to her look.

  


The female returned the stare, her eyes taking in his white kimono shirt with its red sakura pattern and his large white pants that had been tucked into his black boots. A gold and purple sash went around his waist and tied in the front; his tail was draped over one shoulder. He had left his armor in his room, knowing that a dinner at a restaurant was not the place to wear it. It could possibly cause uneasiness, at the very least.

  


"You look very beautiful," he said, sounding very impressed.

  


Kagome just blushed. "And you look handsome."

  


"Well, shall we go now?" the dog demon asked her, offering her his arm.

  


She took the offered appendage. "Yes."

  


~*~

  


"So, Inuyasha-kun, does it bother you that I'm winning our bet?" Varice asked the hanyou as the hostess seated them at a table near the back left corner and handed them all some menus.

  


"No," he answered simply. "But that's because I know that I'm going to win. There's no way that Miroku will last another week."

  


The blond girl chuckled. "He's gone through five dates already without groping Sango-chan. I believe that he can survive a few more." She took a sip of her water. "Besides, he comes from a long line of monks, doesn't he?"

  


Inuyasha snorted, trying to hold back his laugh. "Yes, a long line of lecherous monks."

  


"Dear Kami!" she exclaimed quietly. "Lecherous monks? Now I know that I've heard everything."

  


"What are you two talking about?" Sango asked, sounding very curious. "You're both being very secretive about it."

  


"We were just discussing our bet, Sango-chan," Varice answered innocently. "Nothing to worry about."

  


The black-haired girl frowned. "Usually when you say that, there is something to worry about."

  


"There's absolutely nothing this time," Inuyasha stated.

  


"Honestly," the blonde added, smiling like a child. "That's the truth."

  


"Ooookay," Sango responded, her tone unsure. She wasn't sure if she fully trusted her friend when she used that look; however, if Inuyasha was going to back her up, then she didn't see any reason to press the matter further.

  


"Lady Sango, do you know what you wish to order yet?" Miroku inquired in a kind voice.

  


"Well, I was thinking about..." She paused when she noticed something. "Oh my... It's Kagome-chan!" Smiling happily, she stood up and made her way over to a table where a silver-haired dog demon and a black-haired human sat. The others followed.

  


"Kagome, hi," Sango greeted the girl as she walked up to the table. "Hello, Sesshoumaru. How are you two doing?"

  


"I'm doing very well, Sango," the miko replied with a smile. "Thank you for asking."

  


"Things are going fine for me as well," Sesshoumaru stated as his brother and another male and female joined the little group. "Hello, little brother." He nodded his head in the hanyou's direction.

  


"Hello, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha replied. He looked at Kagome and suddenly realized that he didn't want her anymore. He felt no desire to buy her at all. "This is Varice, my date." He gestured towards the blonde girl beside him. _'That should help my brother know that I'm not here to take the girl.' _

  


The taiyoukai nodded his head in acknowledgment, body still tense. _'Inuyasha may have a date, but that does not mean that he has given up on Kagome. I will not trust him until I know for sure.' _

  


"It's nice to meet you, Varice," Kagome said with a smile, her voice pitched just right to relax the full- blooded dog demon. The voice trick worked. "I'm Kagome."

  


"You're the one that Sango-chan has been protecting, right?" Varice inquired politely, blue eyes trained on the miko.

  


The blue-gray eyed girl gave a small nod and a smile. "Yes, Sango has been doing that. She is a wonderful bodyguard."

  


"Lady Sango, I do hate to interrupt this, but we probably should return to our table. The waitress will be by soon to take our orders," Miroku stated as neutrally as he could.

  


"Okay," Sango responded with a wicked grin. "We'll just leave Kagome and Sesshoumaru alone now."

  


_'Does she know that I love him?'_ Kagome wondered.

  


_'Could she possibly know that I love her?' _ Sesshoumaru silently mused. "Well, Sango, I will see you on Monday."

  


"Bright and early," the black-haired bodyguard responded. "Sure thing."

  


With a few more farewells, the group went back to their table. All of them ate their dinners in enjoyable company; however, they did not talk again. Sesshoumaru and Kagome left the restaurant before Inuyasha and the others did, ending all chances for another discussion.

  


Neither Inuyasha nor Sesshoumaru minded that fact too much. They really didn't want to talk again; however, all three girls were a little depressed. They had been looking forward to talking again.

  


Of course, Sango invited Varice to visit her at the taiyoukai's house on Monday so the could visit with the miko again. The blonde whole-heartedly accepted the invitation and promised to be there a little after noon.

  


After another half hour, with plans for the next date, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Varice left the restaurant.

  


.

  


~*~

  


.

  


Ruu-chan: No problem. You're very welcome. The last time I described Telonomaru was... way back when we first met him. *hugs Ruu-chan* I'm happy that my chappie made you laugh and everything. I was hoping that at least a few people would like the kissing scene.

  


Xonnie: I'm glad that I decided to continue too. I have the rest of this story pretty much planned out; however, I don't have a clue how many more chappies are left. Hopefully less than 10.

  


Flowerblossom: You don't sound like a teacher, so don't worry about that. Now, if you had started going on about my grammer...

  


Magiabruxa: I will update ASAP.

  


Bijin-chan: *laughs* Go Bijin-chan! Go Bijin-chan! *more laughter* Cute review, to say the least.

  


Megitsune1: I don't like Naraku much either. I will say that I'm not gonna kill him... but that only narrows my options a tiny fraction. I still have so many options left... *grins evilly*

  


Turnings Ander: Thanks. I will try to keep it up.

  


Hino Mitsukiko: No offense, but if it is his tail, then why in the world can we see both ends? Neither end is attached to his butt. Sorry, it's just a question. Oh, and as for the spelling of Inutaisho(u), last time I checked (and I could be wrong) but the "u" at the end was optional. Just like Shippo(u). There's other Japanese names that don't need the "u" at the end, and taking it off does not change the pronounciation.

  


Abby: I usually take FOREVER to actually get into the romance. *sighs* It's one of my flaws.

  


Ebonystone63: It's okay. There's stories that I read that I haven't even reviewed once. I'm just that lazy.

  


Purple Witchy Angel: Um... Telonomaru isn't coming back. He's... gone for this story. Sorry.

  


Mattielover: The plot should become much more interesting in a few chappies.

  


Breshcandra: Thanks.

  


Sukera: Yes, I updated. Luv you too. *laughs* You are enthusiastic, to say the least.

  


Holly: I wouldn't go that far as to say my story is unbelievable, unless you wanna get into the magical elements... BTW, I almost always respond to my reviewers, no matter how many there are. Right now, it's been taking me about 30-45 minutes on average to write this responses, and truthfully, I don't mind at all.

  


Dana Daidouji: You reviewed so much... dang. I will tell you this, I didn't tire of reading your reviews. Although, I do need to remember to check my email more often. I woke up this morning with 53 messages, most of which were reviews. *sighs sadly* My poor inbox was almost too full. Yahoo had to give me that little warning message on the top. Well, that just means that I need to clean out my account.

  


Blue-chick: 241 different stories? Wow... I'm reading maybe... 50 or so.

  


Yamis Girlfriend: I'm not sure if there's going to be a whole lot more of described kissing, but quick mentionings are quite possible.

  


Kiaor: Thank you for your support.

  


Inuyashachic515: Thanks for the compliment.

  


ShellBabe: *laughs* Sorry, but I'm not a good person to threaten. I usually just laugh and let it roll off of me.

  


Alia: Offended? You offend me? Sorry, but you would have to do a whole lot more than that to offend me. I'm usually pretty easy going. Certain things will instantly get under my skin, but haven't done a single one of them. I wanted the chappie to be sweet. Hopefully my next story will have more romance. *crosses fingers*

  


Inu-Anime: It's okay. Let's just say that if I could have sweat-dropped, I would have when I read your review when you called me "dude." I'm strange like that.

  


Shanaka: Thanks for the compliment. :)

  


Aznfangurl16: Is this soon enough for you?

  


Tyrell: See? I updated.

  


Keala-Chick: I liked the whistle thing myself. It is something a guy would do.

  


Raining Fire: Thanks. I'm happy that you loved the chappie.

  


Eruinichil: Nichil-chan, I looked at what your story was, and I have to tell you that I really don't read LOTR; however, since it is you, I will try my best to read it and send you a review. Promise.

  


Kitten Siren: Ohhh... okay. That makes sense. Cool. *hugs Kitten Siren* Thanks!

  


Kittymui: Thanks. I thought it was sweet too. Oh, Chocolate Chip Muffins! Sweet! *hugs Kittymui* Thank you so much.

  


Rei Akita: I updated. See? Are you happy now?

  


Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: There's nothing wrong with acting OOC every so often. Actually, it's usually pretty fun. I act OOC every once in a while just to confuse people.

  


Sam: Yes, Telonomaru is kind of an insufferable busybody, but that's why I love him so much. He's a... I can't remember the scientific term... enzyme, catacalyst... something. Well, he has a habit of speeding things up. Needless to say, if this story becomes an original, I'm keeping him, original name and all.

  


Kagome: OMG! Inu youkai in heat? That ain't good. Ummm... I don't think I can help you here. My Sess-chan is having the same problem, and I'm kinda hiding from him. How do you think I got this chappie out so fast? I was trapped in my room. Do you have any idea how sad that is? I have an ENTIRE castle to play around in, with a special TV and a whole lot of other cool, magical things, and I was trapped in my little room! All because I didn't wanna deal with a youkai in heat. *huggles Kagome-chan* I understand your little problem. Ummm... I would tell you to come visit me, but Sess-chan probably wouldn't be too receptive towards that idea at the moment. Sigmund isn't even too welcome here at the moment. I believe the little preverted lawn gnome is outside, camping beneath a tree until Sess-chan calms down. He doesn't seem to mind my pet tiger rajah though. *shrugs* oh, well. Take care, Kagome-chan; and thanks for reviewing. *hugs Kagome-chan again* Good luck with Sesshoumaru. (Sess-chan: Ah-ha! I found you. CotA: EEEP! Ayudame!) 


	22. Chapter 21

"It feels good to be back, doesn't it, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked as she raced from the car to the front door, Sunday's afternoon sun beating down on her. "I kinda missed this place." 

  


"Yes, it does feel good," the dog demon admitted, a small smile tugging on the corners of his lips as he walked towards the entrance to his home.

  


"And tomorrow I get to see Sango again." Her cheerful tone warmed him from the inside out as he dug out his key. _'The smallest things cause her joy,' _the inu youkai thought in amusement, unlocking the door at the same time. He opened the door, gesturing for the miko to enter before him.

  


"Thank you," she stated politely as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. After flashing him a smile, she went into the house, the silver-haired male at her heels.

  


* * *

A little girl with long white hair and pale eyes blinked slowly as she watched the two people enter the mansion. Her white kimono barely swayed as she began to walk away from the large house, her bare feet padding softly on the road.

  


Without even a whispered word, she disappeared, leaving only empty air and a very surprised, two-tailed demon cat behind to testify to where she had just been.

  


A moment later, the child reappeared in a decent sized house on the edge of town. She surveyed her dark surroundings with a calm, almost vacant expression. Everything in the room, except for herself, was pure black, and not a single light was on. Luckily, the dark did not bother the girl.

  


Suddenly, a shadow in the corner in the room shifted, becoming larger and taller.

  


"Kanna, do you have anything to report to me?" the shadow asked, his masculine voice soft.

  


"They have returned," the little girl replied in a whispery, delicate voice.

  


"Good." The shadow moved again. "I have no more use for you, Kanna. You may leave now."

  


"As you wish," Kanna replied, fading away a moment later.

  


Chuckling, the dark figure sat back down in his black leather chair, lacing his long fingers together. "Soon, Kagome, I will have you once again."

  


* * *

Kagome and Sesshoumaru spent the rest of the day relaxing in the library, putting any kind of work off until later. While they were both reading, the miko broke out laughing; so, the dog demon gently demanded to know what had been so funny. With a smile, she read an excerpt from her novel out loud to him; he, of course, found it comical as well.

  


In return, Sesshoumaru read a part of his book out loud, and they went back and forth, reading pieces of their stories to each other. Eventually, they tired of talking across the room, and Kagome moved into the inu youkai's lap, a book laid out across her thighs. As she read, the demon rested his chin on her shoulder, his eyes on the open book.

  


They stayed that way until Kagome fell asleep in his lap, her head resting on his chest.

  


Chuckling softly so he wouldn't wake her, Sesshoumaru carried the sleeping miko to her newly repaired room and tucked her into bed. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, receiving a smile from her in return, before he left the room.

  


He automatically went to his study, sitting down behind his familiar desk. Out of habit, the dog demon reached for some of his paperwork right as the telephone rang. With a small sigh, he answered the phone.

  


"Hello?" Sesshoumaru said into the receiver, curious as to who was calling him. Surely no one knew that he was home yet, right?

  


~Sesshoumaru, it's Shippou,~ a cheerful, boyish voice responded.

  


_'Ah, that explains it. The kitsune always seems to know things that he shouldn't,' _the dog demon thought. "Why did you call me? Do you have any new information for me?" he inquired, doing his best to keep his hope out of his voice. He wanted to remove the spell from Kagome; he wanted to fully free her, whatever the cost.

  


~What do you think?~ the kitsune retorted. ~Would I call for any other reason?~ He gave a snort. ~Actually, I have pretty good news.~

  


"I would recommend that you cease beating around the bush and tell me exactly what this piece of good news is." The inu youkai felt like he was on pins and needles because of his anticipation, and Shippou was not helping to dispel that feeling at all.

  


The fox demon laughed. ~Well, while you guys were gone, Lady Kaede returned. I explained the spell to her, and she found out how to remove it.~

  


The dog demon waited for a few moments, and when the kitsune did not continue, he gave a low growl in annoyance. "Finish your explanation," he ordered. _ 'Close, so close to the answer. I believe that he is teasing me by figuratively dangling the prize right out of my reach.' _

  


~The spell will automatically be removed when one of her old masters marries her out of love,~ Shippou stated, voice neutral.

  


"Thank you, Shippou," Sesshoumaru stated, hiding his surprise. That had been one of the last things he had expected. "Is that all?"

  


~Yes, it is,~ the kitsune answered immediately.

  


"Very well. I will talk to you later." The inu youkai was already half lost in thought, so he didn't hear Shippou's response, much to the other's irritation.

  


~Whatever. Bye,~ the fox demon grumbled.

  


Both demons then hung up their respective phones.

  


Giving a small sigh, Sesshoumaru pushed his paperwork away and leaned back in his chair. He needed to think logically on what Shippou had just said, not sort through papers or allow his mind to wander haphazardly. That just wouldn't suffice.

  


_'To free Kagome, one of her old masters would have to marry her... out of love. I highly doubt that any of her thirty-six other masters loved her; and even if one did, I have a feeling that Kagome would not wish to marry him.' _

  


Frowning thoughtfully, the tip of his tail twitching, Sesshoumaru leaned his elbows on his desk, interlocked his fingers, and rested his chin on them. _'That leaves me. I do know that I love her, but I do not know if the feeling is mutual. Kagome has not said a word about love to me. Nor do I know if I would even want to marry her.' _

  


He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. _'Would I be able to put up with her for however long I live? If we marry, then she will share my life span.' _ The dog demon sighed softly, fond memories of the miko instantly surfacing. _'Kagome is delightful, cheerful, sweet, and beautiful. She smells and tastes wonder; she is well- mannered in addition to all that. I enjoy spending time with her, and I would hate to see her leave.' _ A small smile appeared on his face as he opened his eyes. _'It seems that I would not mind spending my life with her. In fact, I believe that I would enjoy it quite a bit.' _

  


Sesshoumaru sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. _'So, do I want to marry her?' _ He considered that question for a while, an image of Kagome's smiling face in his mind. _'I love her and want her to stay with me forever.' _ His gaze drifted up to the ceiling. _'I guess I do want to marry her.' _ After a moment, he came to a decision. _'Tomorrow, after work, I will buy a ring and propose to her.' _

  


His mind made up, he picked up some papers and began to read.

  


* * *

Monday morning, Kagome was up bright and early, preparing blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Singing softly, she gracefully moved about the kitchen, her knee-length green skirt swaying with her movements. Her white blouse clung to her frame just right, giving her a delicate, yet shapely look.

  


When Sesshoumaru entered the kitchen, fully dressed, she gave him a bright smile. "Morning, Sesshoumaru," she greeted him enthusiastically. "Breakfast is almost ready."

  


"Pancakes?" he inquired, peering over her shoulder to look at the top of the stove.

  


"Yes. Blueberry ones," the miko replied, flipping a pancake as she said it.

  


"Sounds good," the dog demon commented, still watching her movements.

  


"Thank you." Kagome went back to fully concentrating on her cooking, not minding her shadow in the least.

  


Half an hour later, they had both eaten. Sesshoumaru was merely waiting for Sango to show up so he could leave for work. As he waited, he chatted with Kagome, content to just stay by her side for a while and listen to her voice.

  


The bodyguard arrived at five minutes to seven; and then Sesshoumaru, after receiving a good-bye kiss from Kagome, left the mansion for work.

  


For the rest of the morning, the two girls chatted, and Sango was very impressed by the positive change in her friend. The miko had become a cheerful and much less submissive girl... a very, very good thing in the bodyguard's opinion.

  


Around noon, they ate a simple lunch; and while they were cleaning up, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

  


Sango answered the door to find Varice standing there. "Varice, hi."

  


"Hey, Sango-chan. I know that I'm a little early, but Inuyasha and I have a date later this afternoon," the blonde responded. "Since Miroku didn't grope you once, the dog demon lost the bet. Since I'm a nice person, I gave him a choice: he could either take me on a few dates, or he could pay up. He opted for the dates."

  


The raven-haired bodyguard laughed and gestured for her friend to enter. Only Varice would know about the bet that her and Inuyasha had had going for a while.

  


"So, how has your day been so far?" Varice inquired politely as she stepped inside.

  


"Pretty good. Nothing has happened," she replied with a small shrug as she closed the front door and re-did all the locks. She was use to the lack of action.

  


"Excellent!" the blue-eyed girl exclaimed with a smile. "The bad guys are probably so scared of you that they're avoiding this place."

  


Sango shook her head in amusement. "Trust me. I don't scare the bad guys."

  


"Oh, don't be so modest," Varice insisted. "You've defeated your share of youkai, and plenty of people know it."

  


The other female just sighed. "C'mon. I need to go help Kagome finish cleaning up the kitchen."

  


"I'll help too," the blond offered.

  


With that decided, they both went into the kitchen.

  


* * *

"Kagura?"

  


"Yes?" The wind sorceress turned to look at her employer.

  


"Take Hiten, Manten, and Gatenmaru with you, and bring me back Kagome."

  


"I take it that I'll be paid even more for this since I specifically requested to not be forced to work with Hiten and Manten?" Kagura asked.

  


"Yes. Now go. It is the perfect time to strike."

  


"Very well." With blast of wind and fluttering of feathers, she took off to gather the back-up she was supposed to have.

  


* * *

"Would either of you like some tea?" Kagome asked as she rose up off of the couch. She had been talking with the other girls in the living room when she had become thirsty.

  


Sango shrugged. "Sure. That would be really nice."

  


"I'd like a cup," Varice stated. "Thanks."

  


"No problem." With that said, the miko went into the kitchen. Admiring the cheerful sunlight streaming through the windows, she pulled a tea kettle out of the cabinet and poured some water into it. As the water was heating up on the stove, she sorted through the different tea bags. _'Hmmm... mint tea looks pretty good right now.' _

  


Right as she was about to place her choice by the stove and put the others away, she heard a loud crash from the living room. It resembled a crack of lightning more than anything, but Kagome didn't think that lightning would strike the house when the sky was perfectly clear.

  


Wondering what had just happened and more than slightly worried, the ex-slave began to head back to the room where her two friends were. "Sango? Varice?" she called out, sounds of fighting reaching her ears.

  


"Kagome, run!" Sango screamed as the sound of crashing lightning resounded throughout the area again.

  


Eyes wide, the miko immediately did as her bodyguard suggested. She was about to run out the back door when she heard a familiar phrase.

  


"Dance of blades!"

  


Suddenly, the door and much of the wall around it was gone, leaving Kagura there, floating on a feather. The wind sorceress grabbed the ex-slave from off of the ground and onto her feather, taking off a moment later.

  


Kagome screamed for help; however, Sango and Varice were both too busy fighting to hear, much less try to help.

  


So, with a wicked smile on her face, Kagura took the girl to her master, Naraku.

  


* * *

"Varice, call for back-up!" Sango ordered. "I'll hold them off as best as I can while you do that." She jumped out of the way of another youkai lightning bolt from both Hiten and Manten as she lashed out with her sword at Gatenmaru, eyes narrowed in concentration.

  


"Right." Varice raced off to the nearest phone. Manten tried to follow her, but Sango swung her sword at his back, tracing a narrow cut right above his old-fashioned armor.

  


Growling in anger, the younger Thunder Brother turned to the raven-haired bodyguard. "You hurt me!" he howled in fury, launching at the human.

  


Sango dodged as best as she could, but his spear sliced into her side, spraying blood all over the new, light blue carpet. Ignoring the pain, she avoided another lightning bolt as she swung her sword at Gatenmaru's neck, missing him by a few inches. She silently cursed as the three demons circled around her, taunting her.

  


Without really looking, she lashed out at a demon, slicing through Hiten's braid. About a foot of black locks fell to the ground.

  


Amazed and annoyed that the human had come so close to hitting him, Hiten struck out at the girl, electricity crackling around his weapon. The girl almost dodged his attack, but his spear brushed against her, sending a small shock though her.

  


_'Varice, I really hope that your help comes soon,' _Sango thought as she avoided another attack. _'Because I really need it.' _

  


* * *

"Inuyasha, get your butt over to your brother's mansion right now! We're being attacked by three demons and I don't have a clue as to where Kagome is!" Varice screamed into the phone. She would have called the police, but they just weren't prepared to handle three youkai. Only another, powerful youkai could hope to defeat the demons, and the hanyou had been the first person she had thought of.

  


"Huh?" the half dog demon responded, confusion in his voice. He had most definitely not expected the girl to tell him something like that.

  


"Don't question me. We could all die if you don't come and help, dammit!" the blond retorted angrily, her voice carrying a hint of panic.

  


"I'll be there in a bit," Inuyasha quickly replied, hanging up the phone.

  


Putting the receiver down, the blue-eyed female raced back to help her friend.

  


* * *

"Die, you jerk!" Varice shouted as she stabbed Gatenmaru from behind, the tip of her sword coming out of the demon's stomach. She quickly pulled the blade back out and swung at another, nearly bald demon.

  


_'This is not good. Sango is badly injured, and we're still outnumbered. We're good, but humans can not stand up to three demons, especially when two of them have lightning attacks,' _Varice snapped in her mind, jumping out of the way of a lightning bolt and a punch from Gatenmaru.

  


The demon she had just stabbed had not gone down. In fact, he seemed to still be going strong.

  


_'Level one demons. Yippee,' _she mentally grumbled. _'I'm so dead if Inuyasha doesn't get his butt over here soon.' _

  


Sango and Varice moved until they were standing back to back, their swords held out in a defensive position. Blood dripped down one of the back-haired girl's legs, soaking her black pants. Her red shirt was already covered in blood.

  


"On the count of three," Sango whispered. "One... two... three!"

  


The two girls launched themselves at different demons at the same time, trying to injure them enough to make them stop fighting. They didn't succeed; they only gained wounds for the attempt.

  


"Please tell me some help is coming," the brown-eyed girl pleaded softly with her friend.

  


"Inuyasha said that he'd be here soon," Varice replied, tone wistful. She wanted, no NEEDED, help.

  


Right at that moment, a streak of silver and red shot into the living room and cut Gatenmaru in half, shocking Hiten and Manten so much that they froze. One half of the body slid to the floor in a bloodied mess while the other half fell over. Inuyasha stood in the middle of the puddle of blood, a huge sword in his hands.

  


"Would anyone else like a piece of me?" he growled out, eyes flicking towards the two girls for just a moment before returning to his opponents. "You two okay?"

  


"Yeah," Varice answered. "We'll live."

  


"Good." The hanyou took a few steps towards the last two demons. "Are you two gonna attack, or are you gonna leave?"

  


"I never run from a fight," Hiten shot back, bringing his lighting spear down for a slash at Inuyasha's throat. Manten was quick to back up his brother.

  


"Fine. It's your funeral," Inuyasha replied. "Kaze no Kizu!" With a swing of his sword, he sent power straight at the two demons, cutting them into pieces.

  


Sango stared at the mess as a new person walked onto the battle field.

  


"You didn't leave any for me, did you, Inuyasha?" the black-haired man asked.

  


"It's your own fault. You took too long, Miroku," the hanyou retorted; however, his attention was already shifting. His eyes went to the girls, and he instantly realized just how hurt they were. Miroku noticed at the exact same time.

  


"Inuyasha, call an ambulance," the electrician ordered, and the hanyou rushed off to obey. "Lady Sango, do you know if there's a first aid kit around here?"

  


She shook her head. "Forget about that though. We need to find Kagome."

  


Miroku's eyes went wide. "She's missing?"

  


"I told her to run, so she could be anywhere," Sango responded.

  


"The enemy could even have her," Varice added.

  


"Great," he muttered. "Well, you both sit down and relax. I'm going to go look for a first aid kit."

  


The raven-haired bodyguard began to protest. "But-"

  


Miroku cut her off. "Kagome would never forgive me if I left you to die while I searched for her. Besides, Inuyasha would be much better at finding her."

  


"Good point, Houshi-sama." The blonde nodded her head in agreement. "I'll tell him about Kagome when he comes back out here."

  


"I'll be back in a moment." With that said, the black-haired man left the destroyed living room.

  


Sango surveyed the mess once again and came to a conclusion. "Sesshoumaru is not going to be happy."

  


* * *

When Miroku reappeared with a first aid kit, Inuyasha returned as well, stating that an ambulance was on its way.

  


"Inuyasha-kun," Varice began as the one-time monk tended to Sango's wounds. "Could you please try to find Kagome? She was in the kitchen when Sango told her to run, and we don't have a clue where she is."

  


His eyes widened in surprise, but he calmly nodded his head. "Sure." The hanyou raced off, his nose hard at work.

  


Sirens could be heard as the dog demon returned a few moments later, eyes hard and face pale.

  


"What is it?" the blond asked as Miroku moved to patch up her wounds. "Is something wrong?"

  


EMTs and police swarmed the area as the half demon sighed.

  


"She's gone," Inuyasha answered. "A demon took her."

  


* * *

Ringhearty: You'll find out about her family eventually, I promise. There should be more fluff as well. ^_^

Flowerblossom: ^_^ Thanks for reviewing.

Sessh&inufan: You're welcome, and thanks for the compliment.

Abby: I always try to respond to all my reviewers. It takes a while though.

Fuse: Yes, there will be more. I have... two or three more chappies to go.

Krazy-Kagome: Dedication? That's one of the things that I lack. My reviews donate their dedication to me, and I use it to keep my stories going. Without them, my stories would die very quickly.

Evilfire4321: *chuckles* I'll relay the message to Sesshoumaru.

Ami: Mexico? Wow. I wanna go there!

Hamaguri: I don't know how you keep missing the chappies. It's no big deal though. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'm happy that Varice is starting to grow on you. I rather like her.

Lisa: Thanks for reviewing. I'm working on the next chappie right now, so it should be out sometime next week.

Tessa: Yes, I got your email, I just forgot to put a review response at the end of the chappie. Sorry about that. I really didn't mean to. I have a habit of forgetting the reviews I get by email only. And I'm CotA-san now? Strange... I've never been called that before. *shrugs* Oh well. I'm not going to think too much into it. Besides, it kinda cool.

Ty: I updated, see?

Jinx: Yes, I know that the idea is a little cliche. Sorry, but I had this idea and I just had to write it out. It would have bugged me to high heaven if I hadn't.

Holy-Psychic-Vulpix: I have thought of that, and I'm gonna do it... eventually.

Porifra: Inuyasha didn't think anything of the kimono because no one ever explained the kimono thing to him. He just things that they dressed alike b/c they wanted to. Sesshoumaru and Telonomaru know about it b/c they're older and such.

Raining Fire: Ummm... I don't think that Sesshoumaru is going into heat; however, Sess-chan is already there, much to my annoyance.

Luffy: Dang. Are you serious? And I hate to admit it, but there are only about... two or three more chappies left.

Ruu-chan: Ummm... I think I answered your question about Naraku in this chappie. Oh, and I'd love to read your story. Send it to me anytime. *hugs Ruu-chan* Good luck on it. I'm sure that it's great.

Dragon Child2: Thanks so much. I enjoyed reading your review. I hope that my future chappies live up to your expectations.

Lightdestiny: Ummm... there is no more bracelet. Sorry to confuse you. I had to change my story in the middle. It's just a spell now.

Smiley-chan: Thanks.

Sam: I understand. *pats sam-chan on the head* Teachers are constantly making us review stuff that we already know. It becomes very boring very quickly.

Rei Akita: A lit bomb? What in the crap do I do with this? Ummm... *throws it out the window* *big explosion* Well... *looks out window* It seems that a piece of my moat and forest is gone. Eeek. I'll hafta fix that later.

Bijin-chan: I could have had a fight, but I wanted to emphasize the point that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha can... somewhat get along. Also, I wanted to show that Inuyasha no longer wants Kagome. :)

Aznfangurl16: I'll update soon. Promise.

Keala-Chick: Yes, most likely it will turn into a Varice/Inuyasha.

Xonnie: Naraku has struck. Yippee. The climax is quickly approaching.

Maitresse: I'll continue. Don't worry.

Mattielover: Is this interesting enough for you?

Eruinichil: Yes, Telonomaru went away. Sorry. You might see him in one of my other (future)stories though.

Junyortrakr: Nope. He didn't comment b/c he didn't have a clue that it meant something. Oh, BTW, where'd you get your name?

Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: Yes, sugar is the best. It ranks right up there with caffiene (which doesn't affect me too much for some reason)

Purple Witchy Angel: Neat... okay. I can deal with that. :)

Sukera: Yes, writing in caps is fun, I just tend not to do it.

Kagome: Hey Kagome-chan. *hugs Kagome-chan* Thanks for knocking out Sess-chan. He's still unconscious, thank Kami. And I found the perfect hiding place... The Koji Mansion. Sess-chan can't find me here. In fact, he can't even follow me here. I took the sword that opens the doorway. *giggles* If you want, you can hide out here with me. There's five cute guys here (the Ronin Warriors), and you'll probably like them. They're like my bros. If somehow Sess-chan or Sesshoumaru finds their way here (which is impossible without the sword), then they'll protect us. Rajah will too... although, she's kinda out playing with Whiteblaze, the Ronin's tiger. Hmmm... oh well. I'm not gonna worry about it. I'll talk to ya later.

Merffles: Cookie for you! Yes, I stole it from Lady Squire by Tamera Pierce. Good job on noticing that. :)

InvisibleRain: Actually, he hasn't had all that much time. He's only known Kagome for about a... month or so. But hey, he still knows that he's in love.

Holly: Cool. I'll have to go check out your story later.

Inuyashachich515: Yep. IY no longer wants Kagome. That's a very good thing. ^_^

Kittymui: Ummm... I believe this answered your question about danger.

Me: Yes, this story exists.

Neko: I plan to keep it up.

Silverstone: Don't worry about reviewing every time. It's not that big of a deal.

Bubblesbb03: Thanks for reviewing.

No name: You're back again. *sigh* Well, I'm not going to take out Varice. She is staying and her and Inuyasha are dating. Get over it.

Tom: Ummm... there comes a point where you can give me too much information. The psychology lesson was more than welcome, but the rest was not needed. I'm a very naive 18 year old, and I would like to stay that way, no offense. I tend to... avoid perverted discussions. Oh, and the 'dono' wouldn't really work b/c technically, Sesshoumaru isn't exactly an official lord, not like he is in the show. 


	23. Chapter 22

Kagura threw Kagome to the ground by her employer's feet, her red eyes cold. "There. I brought her, just like you wanted."

"The money has already been deposited in your account," he replied, kneeling down to get a good look at the miko, his dark hair spilling about his face.

"Good." Knowing that she was no longer needed, the wind sorceress turned and left.

Growling in anger, Kagome looked up at the man, blue-gray eyes narrowed in fury. "Naraku," she hissed; however, her pale face gave away the fact that she was scared. She had just been kidnapped and taken to the one man she had never wanted to see again. The day had just taken a turn for the worst.

"Well, my pretty little thing, I'm going to enjoy breaking you again." The dark hanyou chuckled as the miko's eyes widened in fear. "You are mine."

  


* * *

  


"Miroku?" Sango sighed softly as she looked down at her IV. The doctors had insisted on putting it in because she had lost so much blood. "I need to call Sesshoumaru. I have to tell him about Kagome."

"The police are looking for her now, and they should have already informed him," the black haired man responded.

The bodyguard shook her head. "He isn't a relative, so they won't. I NEED to call him NOW."

He sighed and pulled out his cell phone. "You should be sleeping like Varice," he commented as he handed it to her, sparing a glance at the napping blonde that was just a few feet away. Of course, the nurses had been forced to drug her to make her relax and sleep some. "Let the police take care of things." 

Sango just ignored him, pushing buttons on the phone. She held it to her ear as it began to ring.

~Hello, Taiyoukai Technology. How may I help you?~ a pleasant female voice stated.

"This is Sango. I need to talk to Sesshoumaru," the bodyguard replied simply.

~I'm sorry, but he's in a meeting. Can I take a message?~ 

"No. I need to talk to him now. Just tell him that Sango is on the phone for him," she insisted.

~I am not to interrupt the meeting for anything, even your call.~

Sango growled softly in annoyance. "Listen, I don't have time for this. I have to talk to Sesshoumaru right now."

~That's what they all say.~ The woman sounded exasperated. 

"Here, let me try." Inuyasha held out his hand. He had just entered the room a moment ago. "I can get him on the phone."

The bodyguard gave him the phone. "Enjoy."

Smiling wickedly, the hanyou raised the cell phone to his ear. "Yo, this is Inuyasha. I wanna talk to my bro."

~I'm sorry, but-~

"Now. Tell that sorry jerk Sesshoumaru that if he wants my sword, Tetsusaiga, then he'd better get his butt on the phone right this second!"

The lady gasped softly. She had heard her boss talk about that sword more than once, and she knew how badly the full-blooded inu youkai wanted it. ~I'll tell him that you're on line one.~

Inuyasha was put on hold, but he didn't have to wait long for someone to pick up. 

"Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru's voice came across the phone line loud and clear. 

"Hey, Sesshoumaru. Sango wants to talk to you." Before his half brother could say another word, he handed the phone to the bodyguard.

"Sesshoumaru, Kagome was kidnapped," Sango blurted out. She was met with silence, and she instantly became worried. "Sesshoumaru?"

~Where are you?~ he asked suddenly.

"St. Lukes Hospital," she answered, frowning. She didn't like how he sounded. It was almost like he was about to snap.

"I'll be there in a few minutes.~ Then, he hung up.

  


* * *

  


Sesshoumaru set down the phone and turned to his secretary. "I'll deal with you later, Ms. Smith." Leaving the woman visibly cringing, he raced off without a second thought.

The inu youkai quickly went to his chair, climbed in, and rushed to the hospital. He found his way to Sango's room in no time at all, walking in there to find Inuyasha, Miroku, and Varice in there as well. None of them looked happy.

"Sango, what exactly happened?" he demanded to know as soon as he walked up to her bed.

"Kagome was in the kitchen, making tea, when three demons broke through the wall and attacked. I told her to run, while Varice and I fought against them. We quickly realized that we couldn't fight them on our own for long, so I held the three off while Varice called for help," Sango rattled off. "Inuyasha came and slaughtered the three demons, but not before Varice and I were both severely injured. Sometime during the fight, another youkai came and kidnapped Kagome. Inuyasha said so."

Sesshoumaru glanced over at his half brother, a questioning look on his face.

"The wall had been cut into pieces, and I smelled demon," Inuyasha stated.

The raven-haired bodyguard sighed. "If I had to take a guess as to who took her, then I would have to say Kagura did it. She's the most likely candidate, especially since Inuyasha said that he once he left the house, he couldn't smell the demon on the ground. Kagome was kidnapped by someone who could fly."

"Naraku must have her now," the full-blooded youkai growled out, eyes becoming red.

Miroku looked up at the taiyoukai. "Do you want help rescuing Kagome?" he inquired.

"I don't know where Naraku lives," he said, frowning. Without another word, he pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed a number.

~Hey, Shippou here.~

"Shippou, I need you to find out where Naraku could have possibly taken Kagome," Sesshoumaru ordered.

The fox demon let lose a string of curses, but he calmed after a moment. ~Give me a few minutes to check around. I'll call you back when I have some answers.~ He hung up.

The inu youkai put up his phone and mentally sighed. _'How could this had happened? Everything was fine until today. Just yesterday Kagome was free and happy, laughing and reading books with me. Now she's in the hands of that sicko... a soon to be dead sicko.' _ He grinned evilly at that idea, liking the thought of a dead Naraku.

"Sesshoumaru..." Sango didn't like the look on the taiyoukai's face. It worried her. _'He is truly on edge. He won't think twice about wringing Naraku's neck if the filthy hanyou does show his face.' _

"Yes?" He looked up from his phone to her face.

"What did Shippou say?" she asked, voice soft.

"Does he know anything about Naraku?" Miroku inquired, hope in his eyes. He didn't know Kagome all that well, but he didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

Sesshoumaru sighed softly, golden eyes filled with sadness and worry. He wanted the miko back and safe in his arms. "He's looking for information right now."

"You shouldn't worry too much, Sesshoumaru," Varice stated optimistically. "I'm sure that Houshi-sama and Inuyasha-kun will help you rescue her once you know where she is." She smiled sweetly, warming the inu hanyou's heart.

"You're always so positive," the half demon commented, returning her smile with a wistful one of his own.

The blonde laughed softly. "I have to be. I'm in a hospital, aren't I?" she gently retorted. "Things certainly can't become any worse than they are now."

Sesshoumaru's phone suddenly ran, and he quickly grabbed and answered it. "Hello?"

~I got three different locations for you: Naraku's house, his log cabin, and his warehouse.~ 

"Give me the addresses," the inu taiyoukai ordered. Shippou obeyed. "Thank you." Without further ado, he hung up the phone.

Looking at the other males in the room, Sesshoumaru considered something. _'I could ask for help. I certainly need it. If they each go to a different location, we'll find her faster.'_

"Inuyasha, there's a cabin at this address..." The pure-blooded demon grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, rapidly scribbling down a few lines; he handed it to the hanyou. "You go here, and you-" he pointed at the one-time monk before writing down another address and handing it to him, "get to go here. If you find Kagome, call me and do whatever you can to get her out of there."

"What do we do if we don't find her?" Miroku asked.

"You'll find her," Sango assured him immediately. 

"Houshi-sama, you need to think more positive," Varice added.

The black-haired man shook his head sadly. "I'm asking just in case."

"Come back here then," Sesshoumaru instructed, heading towards the door. "But whatever you do, don't kill Naraku. He's mine." With that said, he was out the door and walking down the hall.

Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged looks, said good-bye to the girls, and then left.

  


* * *

  


Inuyasha walked up to the log cabin, double-checking the address Sesshoumaru had given him. He was in the right place, but he couldn't smell Naraku. Also, the place seemed lifeless. Frowning, he tested the door and found it locked. He gave a small shrug and kicked it down.

The cabin living room was sparsely furnished, but what was there was completely black. Only the walls, the logs, gave the room any color besides black. An old-fashioned fireplace rested in the corner, and a black-bladed fan hung from the ceiling.

Eyes catching every detail of the dusty room, the hanyou sighed. _ 'I don't think he's here,' _he mused. _'Still, I probably should look in every room.'_ Not leaving anything up to chance, he began to search the small cabin room-by-room. 

The kitchenette was empty of all life except for a few spiders, and the cabinets were completely bare. Not a speck of food was to be found anywhere. Also, the black refrigerator was missing the electrical cord to plug it in. 

The bathroom was in the same state as the kitchenette and the bedroom only had one small military-style cot in it. Obviously, no one had entered the cabin in a long time. 

"Kuso," he cursed, golden eyes flashing in anger. 

Frustrated, he stormed to his car and drove back to the hospital. 

Inuyasha was still fuming over his failure when he walked into Sango and Varice's room. Sango was napping, but Varice was flipping through the channels. The blonde turned off the TV the instant she saw the hanyou. 

"Inuyasha... you didn't find her, did you?" She knew that look on his face; he wasn't that hard to read. The poor guy looked like someone had just run over his favorite dog. 

The silver-haired man shook his head. "No. I didn't. The place looked pretty abandoned." 

Varice sighed sadly. "Maybe the other two will have better luck."

  


* * *

  


Miroku pulled his car up to a medium sized warehouse, his eyes taking inventory of the area. There seemed to be only one door; however, there were a few windows. Unsure of whether he should go through the door or a window, he walked around the building, looking for any signs of the dark hanyou. He didn't find anything.

_'I really wish that I had stayed a monk. If I had, then I would be able to sense demons by now.'_

With a silent sigh, he finally decided to enter through the door. He quickly found it to be locked. Praying that he could enter another way he began to test the windows. The first few were locked; however, one was not. Smiling triumphantly, he climbed through the window and into the warehouse.

The small amount of sunlight filtering into the building through the sparsely spaced windows was just enough to punch through the gloom. Miroku could see, but only barely. 

About five long shelves stretched the length of the building, and boxes of many different sizes littered the area. 

Moving slowly so he wouldn't make any noise, Miroku began to search the warehouse, opening all the boxes and walking up and down every aisle.

He found nothing.

Sighing in defeat, the electrician climbed out of the building via the window.

Miroku got into his car and drove back to the hospital, a hopeless look on his face. He had really been praying that he would find Kagome. He didn't want to leave her with Naraku any longer than necessary. 

A frown on his face, he walked into the girls' room at the hospital, instantly noticing that Inuyasha was already present. _ 'Two down, one to go,'_ Miroku mused.

"Nothing?" the black-haired man asked, even though he already knew the answer.

The hanyou shook his head. "Nothing." 

  


* * *

  
Sesshoumaru pulled into Naraku's driveway, his whole body tenses for battle. He was hoping that he would find the evil hanyou and Kagome inside. While he had sent the other two off to the least likely locations, he had saved the one with the greatest possibility for himself. If Naraku had the miko anywhere, he probably had her at his house.

Without caring about appearance or what he destroyed (Naraku had totaled his mansion, after all), the dog demon stormed right up to the front door, the fresh scent of the hanyou and Kagome swirling around him. Balling his hand, he slammed his fist into the front door. The door didn't break. It was a youkai-strength door, just like his.

Shrugging, the inu youkai went over to a window, brought out his youki whip, and obliterated the window and a good section of the wall. He didn't care if Naraku heard all the noise. In fact, he was kind of hoping that he had so they could fight. Unfortunately, no dark-haired hanyou came out to greet him; however, his scent was even stronger on the inside of the black house. The miko's scent laced the air as well, telling him that she was nearby.

Completely alert, Sesshoumaru followed Kagome's scent through the house. He went into the dining room first, but no one was there. He followed her sweet smell downstairs and then back upstairs. She was somewhere in the house, he just had to figure out where. _'Wherever she is, it's almost certain that Naraku will be there with her,' _he thought darkly, wishing the most painful death on his adversary.

Taking a deep breath, the inu youkai went where the smells of both Kagome and Naraku were the strongest. Slowly walking down the hall, poison dripping from his claws, he stopped outside the bedroom. With a great show of strength, he unceremoniously kicked the door down. 

Sesshoumaru rushed into the completely black room, his eyes flicking from one side to the other. A bed rested in one corner, the sheets disheveled, and a wardrobe sat on the other side, toppled over. The door to the bathroom was wide open, revealing a black-tiled and black-walled room.

Other than the furniture, the room was empty. Neither Kagome or Naraku could be found anywhere in sight.

Growling, he took a few more steps in to the room, finally noticing a very large window that had been left open by someone. It was large enough for a person to easily crawl through. 

_'I'm not giving up just yet,'_ he thought firmly, going outside to the backyard through the window. Both Kagome's and Naraku's scents were strong outside, stronger even than inside the bedroom. Golden eyes searched the area, finding trees, bushes, and grass, but no Kagome or Naraku. There was no shed for anyone to hide in, and the miko's smell just seemed to end in the backyard. 

_'He flew out her of here, using the wind to disperse their scents so no one could follow,' _Sesshoumaru mused darkly, eyes flashing in fury. _ 'Naraku is going to pay for this.' _

"I can only hope that one of the other two found her." With a sigh, he left the backyard and got back in his car. 

  


* * *

  


Sesshoumaru walked into the hospital, every muscle in his body tense. If both Inuyasha and Miroku were there, then no one had found Kagome. He wasn't sure if he would be able to stand finding out that the miko was still in the hands of the evil hanyou.

Saying a small prayer, he opened the door to Varice and Sango's room and entered. Sango and Miroku were talking, while Varice and Inuyasha were watching the television in companionable silence. Everyone turned to look at him the instant he walked in, and the pure-blooded inu youkai merely shook his head.

"Kuso." 

No one knew who said it first, but they all echoed the sentiment.

  


* * *

  


AN: Okay, I can't remember who asked me this, but someone wanted to know about Varice. I stole her name and looks from a book by Tamera Piece called Emperor Mage. Her personality is mine. Someone else asked about what chappies I tweaked. The answer is... well... I mostly tweaked the first five chapters or so. They aren't changed all that much, so I wouldn't really bother going back and reading them. It isn't worth it, unless, of course, you just like my story that much... which I highly doubt.

Also... Over 700 reviews. Yea!!! Um... okay. Well, the review responses are below.

Hamaguri: Yes, poor Fluffy's house went bye-bye... again. And he just got it fixed. *sighs* He's angry at me... again! However, he can't find me to kick my butt, so it's okay.

Tydepul: Inuyasha is the second richest man in the country, but what's the point of betting against the number one guy in the country? IY knew that he'd lose before he even started.

Daydreaminggal: Yes, evil cliff hanger. And I believe that Ja ne means see you later, technically, but goodbye works as well.

Ichigo: Sorry, no fluff in this chappie either. I guess that you'll just have to wait for a bit.

LSR-7: I haven't started on the next chappie yet, but I have a basic idea as to what I wanna write. Yes, I made up Telonomaru. He's my character, so his name isn't strictly japanese. Also, I have no clue what Sesshoumaru's laughing would sound like.

Ruu-chan: I take it that your story is The Maid? I've already read the first chappie, and it's pretty good. I'm impressed. *hugs Ruu-chan* You've got a great story here. Now, I need to finish responding to reviews and finish reading your story.

Rei Akita: I will update as soon as I can, okay?

Xonnie: I stopped there b/c... well... b/c I felt like it. I figured it was as good of a place to stop as any.

InvisibleRain: Oh, sorry. Miner misunderstanding. And don't worry, this story will end well if I have any say in it.

Chibi-Kerochan: Of course, Sesshoumaru doesn't express his feelings a lot. It's part of his character. And I did have the majority of this story planned out before I even started writing it.

Luffy: Yes, only two or three more chappies. Sorry, but I do have to end this eventually. I have a I/K story to finish writing, and I have an excellent idea for a Kouga/Kag fic. It's gonna be so great once I get around to writing it. *giggles* Well, thank you for the amazing compliments, and I hope that this chappie lived up to your expectations.

Fuse: Umm... I don't believe that there's any way you could possibly convince Sesshoumaru to fight you for Kagome. He's rather attached to her, if you haven't noticed. However, you can attack Naraku if you want. Just don't kill him, okay? Sesshoumaru wants to do that.

Purple Witchy Angel: Yeah... Sesshoumaru is so not happy about it. He's handling it pretty well though.

Foxlover: Yes, Sesshoumaru was going to propose and then everything goes down the drain. Poor Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

Alice (Ice): Thanks and you're welcome in return. I try my hardest to make my chapters good. It's kinda hard sometimes though.

Eruinichil: Yep, I finally worked in Kanna. She didn't have a mirror, but *shrugs* Oh well. No big deal.

Relena Peace: Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like this story.

Holly: I read your story, and I believe that I posted a review as well.

Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: Yes, cliffies do tend to be evil; however, as an authoress, I tend to use them to keep my readers interested. Did my plan work?

Mattielover: Sorry about not writing more. I wanted to get this chappie out.

Inuyashachich515: Yep, Sesshoumaru is going to be one pissed pup when he finds Naraku.

Eris Goddess of Chaos: I stopped b/c I wanted to put a small cliffie in the story.

Evilfire4321: Um... Fluffy was at work. 

Yanou: Inuyasha may not want her anymore, but he definitely doesn't want her in the hands of Naraku. And I believe the next chappie is going to be one big beat down. ^_^

Sukera: Eeek, so many lights... That would really, really bite. I had to help my parents put our lights up too, and I have a serious disliking for the cold.

Ringhearty: Sorry, but the butt-kicking is in the next chapter. :) And Kagome doesn't know how to use her defensive powers. She can heal and use her powers to... entertain guys.

Kagome: I believe the show was called Ronin Warriors. The good guys were 5 boys in armor and the main bad guy was a floating head. Oh, and if you wanna come join me here... *pulls out sword and cuts a glowing circle in the air* The other end to the portal is in my computer room. You'll be the only one capable of going through it, so don't worry about people following you. The guys are looking forward to seeing you. Just beware Rowen's cooking. I can't wait to see you either. This is going to be a nice week-long vacation; however, as soon as Sess-chan's out of heat, I need to go back home and work some more on my stories. Well, I hope you enjoyed the chappie. *hugs Kagome-chan* Enjoy!

Magiabruxa: I'll update asap, I promise.

Raining Fire: Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it.

Shinigami-Sama1: Sesshoumaru's reaction is going to be... let's not go there. Thanks for asking though. *hugs Shin-sama* Sorry, but I'm too lazy to write your whole name again. Do you mind me calling you Shin-sama? I hope not.

Flowerblossom: I didn't exactly rush, but I didn't get it out all that fast either.

Rain67: You usually hate Sess/Kag fics? Awww... that's kinda sad. For some reason, it's become my favorite pairing. *shrugs* oh well. Good luck with that package thing.

Day: Yes, it was a little anti-climatic, but hey... the next few chappies should make up for it. 


	24. Chapter 23

Varice gave a soft sigh, her eyes reflecting her sadness. It was hard being optimistic all the time. "Okay. So, we're back at square one," she stated. "Does anyone have any ideas?" 

Miroku shook his head, as did the dog demon brothers. Sango, however, looked thoughtful. Her brown eyes were partially closed as she stared off into space. "Kagura possibly took both Naraku and Kagome away on her feather again, right?" the raven-haired bodyguard asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru answered. He had already explained to the group what he had found out at Naraku's house, but he didn't see why it mattered.

Sango's face broke into a small smile. "Well then, let's just find her and ask her where she took them."

"That's an excellent idea, Lady Sango," Miroku commented, mentally cheering. "But you need to stay here with Lady Varice. Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha and I will find her." He turned to the full demon. "Do you think that Shippou might have some information on Kagura?"

The pure inu youkai nodded his head. "Yes, I believe he might." Without another word, he pulled out his cell phone once again and dialed.

After a few minutes, Sesshoumaru had Kagura's address. An evil smile on his face, he wasted no time in heading to his car. The other two males, realizing that the taiyoukai wasn't going to tell them anything, raced after him.

  


* * *

  


"I'm assuming that this is the place," Inuyasha stated as Sesshoumaru pulled into a driveway in front of a small, one-story house.

"Your powers of deduction never cease to amaze me, little brother," the taiyoukai responded sarcastically as he opened his car door and got out.

"And your bastard attitude never surprises me," the hanyou retorted as both he and the electrician climbed out of the car.

Miroku mentally shook his head. "Why don't you two fight AFTER we've rescued Lady Kagome?" he suggested calmly. "Arguing amongst ourselves is not going to help."

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru merely turned away from his allies and walked up to the front door. He prepared himself to knock down the door before the black-haired man interrupted him.

"Why don't we knock and politely ask her about Kagome first?" he inquired. "It can't hurt. If she doesn't give us an answer, then you can kick her butt." The taiyoukai rolled his eyes, but he did knock on the door.

A moment later, a woman with black hair and red eyes answered the door. "Yes?"

"Kagura, I presume?" the full-blooded dog demon asked.

"What's it to you?" she responded coldly, easily recognizing two of her visitors. She wanted nothing to do with either of the demon brothers; however, she had no idea as to who the black-haired man was.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the woman. He didn't like the looks of her already. "We wanna talk to you."

"In private," Miroku added politely. If there was going to be a fight, then he would rather fight without witnesses watching.

"No." Kagura moved to shut the door, but Sesshoumaru stopped her. Using just a fraction of his strength, he shoved the wind sorceress back and stormed into the house.

The electrician sighed as he and Inuyasha followed the older dog demon inside.

  


* * *

  


Naraku cursed for the twentieth time since he had acquired Kagome. She absolutely refused to bend to his will for the absurd reason that she believed the dog demon would come and rescue her. He had done everything he could think of to break her, including raping her. Nothing had worked. She still hid behind her hope of being rescued.

"Come here," he ordered her roughly, his dark eyes boring into her.

"No," she retorted with more bravery than she felt.

"I gave you an order, and I expect you to follow it. Now, come here!" the hanyou snapped at her, eyes flashing in anger.

"NO!" Kagome yelled at him.

Face dark, Naraku purposely strode towards her, grabbing her wrist and yanking her until her naked body was flush against his. "You would do well to obey me. The more you resist, the angrier I'll become and the harder things will be for you in the future."

"Sesshoumaru is going to rescue me," the miko shot back, voice firm. She believed with all her heart that the taiyoukai would save her. After all, he had hired Sango to protect her from Naraku, and he had proved himself to be an honorable man. He would rescue her; however, the image of his face and the memory of his voice was about all that was keeping her sane in the presence of the evil man.

The hanyou growled in annoyance, throwing her back on the bed. "You honestly think he's going to save you like some kind of knight in shining armor, don't you?" He leered at her. "Well, allow me to shed some light on the truth. He's not going to come and rescue you, and I'm going to prove it."

With that said, he stormed out of the room, leaving Kagome to wonder just what he was planning.

  


* * *

  


"Start talking," Sesshoumaru ordered Kagura, eyes flashing in anger. _'She is keeping me from finding Kagome. If I find Kagome hurt in any way, then this demon will die.' _

"I have nothing to tell you," the red-eyed demon replied simply.

"Oh, yes you do!" Inuyasha snapped. "You kidnapped Kagome. I recognize your scent."

The taiyoukai's eyes quickly became red. "You... took... Kagome," he growled out. _'She is the cause of all of this. She is the reason Kagome is gone,' _he thought angrily. _'She will pay.' _

Kagura just laughed. "So what if I did? What are you going to do about it?" She moved to pull out her fan, but Sesshoumaru stopped her. He grabbed her throat and slammed her into the wall, his other clawed-hand glowing green.

"Tell me where Kagome is or I'll kill you," he threatened, allowing the wind sorceress to see his poison eat away at the carpet. "Don't think I won't."

The black-haired demon gulped nervously, but she kept her mouth shut.

"TELL ME!" Sesshoumaru bellowed, his youki surrounding him. He was on the verge of shifting into his pure dog demon form.

"I took them both to Goshinki's place!" Kagura blurted out, fearing for her life. The hold on her neck didn't loosen.

"Tell me where this Goshinki's place is," he demanded, quickly receiving directions and an address from her.

Sesshoumaru released her, allowing her to fall painfully to the floor. "Miroku, you stay here. If she leaves, call me; I'll come and kill her." The electrician nodded in understanding as the full demon moved towards the door. "Kagura, if I find out that you lied to me, I'll come back here and slowly poison you until you writhe in pain and beg for death." The wind sorceress rubbed her throat and retreated to a corner of the room, terror in her eyes.

With that parting shot, he stepped outside. Inuyasha followed him, feeling a little nervous around his older brother.

_'I've never seen him so angry,' _the hanyou thought. _'He's on the breaking point. Any second, he could snap, and that's not good.' _

As Sesshoumaru got into his car, his cell phone ringed. Frowning, he answered it. "Hello?"

~Hello, Sesshoumaru,~ an oily voice replied. ~It's Naraku. I have a deal to make with you, and I have a feeling that you'll accept.~

  


* * *

  


Naraku smiled as the taiyoukai insulted him. He didn't care what the other called him, as long as he got what he wanted. "Listen up, Sesshoumaru. I've been having some problems with Kagome."

~Good.~ The dog demon sounded smug.

"No, not good. I want the problems fixed," he responded. "Which is where you come in. You're going to tell Kagome that you're not going to save her."

~And what in the seven hells makes you think that I'm going to do that?~ he retorted.

"Do you want her to stay alive?" Naraku inquired, voice pleasantly polite.

Silence reigned for a minute before the inu youkai responded. ~Yes.~

"Good. If you want her to stay alive, then you'll tell her that you're not coming to save her. It'll be easier to break her that way." The hanyou smiled.

Kagome softly gasped. She had been pressing her ear to the door, listening to Naraku's every word. _'He's still trying to break me!' _

~I won't say it. I won't help you break her.~

"Very well. If I can't break her, then I'll just kill her. I have no use for a slave that won't obey me," Naraku responded, an evil glint in his eyes.

Sesshoumaru was silent for a long while. ~I'll tell her,~ he finally stated. _'I can't let her die. I can only pray that she won't believe me. I don't like this though.' _

"Good boy. Now, I'm going to hand the phone to Kagome, and you're going to follow our little deal." The hanyou began walking back to the bedroom. "If you don't, then I'll kill her."

~Kisama,~ the dog demon spat out.

"Yes, I am one." Naraku laughed as he opened the door, finding Kagome sitting on the bed. She appeared relatively calm; however, fear was still present in her eyes. "Someone wants to talk to you, my little dove." He handed her the phone.

She tentatively took it from him. "Hello?"

~Kagome?~ Sesshoumaru's voice broke halfway through her name. _'Please, please, Kami, don't let her believe me. Keep her body and her spirit safe until I can rescue her.' _

"Sesshoumaru!" she cheered happily. _'It feels so nice to just hear his voice,' _she mused with a small, mental smile.

~I'm not coming to rescue you. I'm leaving you with Naraku.~ The words were dull and forced; however, Kagome's eyes went wide at them.

_'I know that he's lying, but it still hurts to hear them.' _ She pretended to completely believe him, forcing tears to come to her eyes. "But... Sesshoumaru," she choked out.

"Sorry, but that's all the time you get." Naraku yanked the phone away from her. "Bye-bye." He pressed the "end call" button.

"No..." Kagome whispered, still acting. _'I can't let him find out that I know he was forcing Sesshoumaru to lie.' _

"Well, Kagome," the hanyou began, sneering at her. "What do you have to say now?"

She thought about that for a long while. Finally, she came up with an answer. "Sango and Varice will come and rescue me."

Naraku just growled and backhanded her.

  


* * *

  


"Let's go," Sesshoumaru told his younger brother as he hung up the phone. "I have a hanyou to kill."

Inuyasha just nodded his head and buckled his seat belt. It was going to be a bumpy ride. "Do you think Kagome believed you?" he asked as the pure-blooded youkai pulled out of the driveway, tires screeching.

"It sounded like she did," he hissed in reply, eyes still red. He floored the gas pedal, sending the car shooting off and Inuyasha hanging on to the arm rests for dear life.

Somehow, Sesshoumaru avoided every police officer, highway patrol officer, and every other car on the roads. He did not once crash into anything, even though he ran every single stop sign and ignored all the traffic lights; however, he did leave quite a few cussing people behind.

The silver-haired hanyou turned to his brother, eyes wide. "Slow down, Sesshoumaru. We won't be any good to Kagome if you kill us both in a big car crash!"

"Shut up, Inuyasha," the taiyoukai responded without a moment's hesitation. "We don't have the time to abide by the stupid traffic laws." He paused as he passed a car. "And we are not going to crash."

"So says you," Inuyasha muttered in annoyance, but he let the subject drop. He understood that there was no way he was going to be able to talk his brother out of anything at the moment. Sesshoumaru had already passed judgment. Kagome was going to be saved, and Naraku was going to die. It was as simple as that. Anyone who stood in his way would be pulverized.

A minute later, Sesshoumaru brought the car to an abrupt halt. "This is suppose to be the place," he stated, climbing out of the car. He didn't even wait for his younger brother before he kicked down the front door and raced inside.

The taiyoukai was instantly met with a challenge. A large demon stood in front of him, evil eyes staring straight into his. His skin rippled with muscles as he flashed a smile full of fangs.

"Move out of the way," the dog demon ordered.

"No," the enemy retorted. "I am Goshinki. This is my house, and I will do as I please here."

"It's your funeral," Inuyasha stated, coming up to stand beside his brother. He turned to the other dog demon. "You go find Kagome. I'll take care of this joker."

Sesshoumaru nodded his head, racing off. The hanyou turned to his opponent, unsheathing his sword. "I'm giving you this one chance to back down," he said.

Goshinki chuckled darkly, the evil sound echoing around the living room. "I don't think so." Not giving any warning, he attacked, lashing out with his claws. Inuyasha easily dodged.

"Fine." Without further ado, he counter-attacked, swinging his transformed sword at the enemy. He missed, but that didn't bother him too much. The giant demon was going to lose, and he was going to win. "Kaze no Kizu!"

  


* * *

  


Sesshoumaru followed Kagome's scent, ignoring the sounds of battle coming from the living room. Naraku was somewhere, and he couldn't afford to be distracted. He had to find the miko, no matter what the costs.

He delicately sniffed the air, smirking when he noticed that Naraku's scent was suddenly laced with fear. The smell led the taiyoukai down into the basement, and he smiled as he quickly reached the source of it all.

His smile disappeared, however, when he heard Naraku yelling at Kagome.

"Call off your friends, dammit!" he heard the hanyou shout from inside a room at the end of the hallway.

"NO!" the miko screamed. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Sesshoumaru was pleased to find out that she wasn't broken, but the thought of Naraku abusing her made his blood boil.

"Do it or I'll do you in just like I did your family!" Naraku spat out, right as the taiyoukai broke down the door.

The hanyou turned around, eyes going wide from fear. He knew that his end was drawing close; however, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. He grabbed Kagome, closing one hand around her throat.

"Come one step closer and she dies."

Sesshoumaru froze, unsure of what to do.

  


* * *

  


"Why won't you just die?!" Goshinki demanded to know as he struck out at the hanyou. Both demons were badly injured from the battle, and neither seemed to be winning just yet.

"I could ask the same of you," Inuyasha replied, a half smile on his face as he jumped back to avoid the attack. "You're a stubborn kisama!" He switched from defensive to offensive as he swung his sword at the enemy's head. At the last second, he hit the ground and stabbed his sword through the demon's leg, earning a howl of pain from the monster.

Smiling in satisfaction, he rolled away, quickly standing back up. "I hope that you've said your prayers," Inuyasha stated. "BAKURYUUHA!" The burst of power and wind from his sword obliterated the demon, not even leaving any ashes. It also destroyed a good section of the first floor.

"I really hope Sesshoumaru has Kagome now," the hanyou said to himself as he collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. His muscles had ceased to function. He barely had enough energy to stay sitting up. "Please, just let him have her."

  


* * *

  


"Let her go," Sesshoumaru ordered. "Fight me like a man. Only cowards hide behind a hostage."

"But cowards usually live to see another day," Naraku responded with a smile. And besides, I like her." He sensually ran his tongue up the side of the miko's face, his eyes never leaving his opponent's face. "I want to keep her. I haven't had a chance to break her yet."

"Sesshoumaru..." Kagome whispered. "Help."

"Shut up, wench!" the dark hanyou snapped, shaking her.

The dog demon growled. "Release her... now!" Watching him hurt her tore him apart on the inside and made him angrier than he ever could have imagined. It didn't help that Kagome was naked, confirming what Naraku had said earlier.

The half demon chuckled. "I don't think so. I take orders from no one." An evil smile on his face, he used a claw to scratch a shallow wound on the side of her neck.

The sight of Kagome's blood along with her fear and pain-filled eyes was too much for Sesshoumaru. Moving faster than he could ever imagine, he leapt at Naraku, catching the hanyou completely by surprise. Glowing green claws went straight through his stomach and heart.

Pain swamped Naraku's body, forcing him to release the miko.

Sesshoumaru pulled his hands out of the hanyou's body in favor of holding a sobbing Kagome. He cradled her against his body, gently pressing her head to his chest so she wouldn't see his poison eat away at Naraku's body, leaving a disgusting mess. The pile of goo reminded him of toxic waste, and the smell was worse than garbage.

"Let's go home," he whispered in her ear, earning a nod in response. He took off his large shirt and put it on Kagome, pleased with how it fully covered her. Then, being as gentle as possible, he swept her up into his arms bridal-style, relief flooding his system.

As he climbed up the stairs, Kagome nuzzled her head against his neck, seeking more comfort. "I knew that you would come to rescue me. I knew that you were lying when you talked to me," she said softly, her beautiful voice the most comforting sound the dog demon had ever heard.

"Good," Sesshoumaru replied. "I'll always protect you."

The miko laughed softly. "I already knew that."

  


* * *

  


CotA: There you people go. There was all the butt-kicking you guys wanted. The only sad thing about this is, I only have to type on more chappie. The next chapter is the last one, and I've already written it (it's short). *begins to cry* That is just so sad! I don't want this story to end.

Sigmund: Um... you have other stories to work on, ya know?

CotA: But I liked this story. It was one of my favorites, and I even finished it in record time.

Sess-chan: It'll be okay. *petting CotA's hair*

CotA: Ummm... Sess-chan?

Sess-chan: What?

CotA: Aren't you forgetting something?

Sess-chan: Oh, yes. There will be no sequel to this story. It ends at the next chapter. CotA was planning on saying this herself, but she finds it too depressing.

CotA: You got that right. *sniffling* Well the review responses are below.

Tessa3: Take your time and such. I'm in no hurry. And thanks for the compliment.

Kittymui: Yes, Sesshoumaru was so pissed.

Mattielover: I'll continue this... until the next chappie.

Kagome: Sess-chan claims that his little problem is over for the next few months, so I'm okay now. *smiles* Maybe Sesshoumaru is okay now too. *hugs Kagome-chan* I waited to update until today b/c I was waiting for your review. Sad, but true. I just love reading them. They're the cutest things. *giggles* And I just love libraries. I only wish that mine carried anime videos. It would be awesome if they did. Oh well. *shrugs* I'm not going to worry about it all that much. Take care Kagome-chan, and I hope that you enjoyed this chappie.

PWA: Sesshoumaru isn't one to totally freak out. I would have freaked out more too.

My-Name-is-Spoken: Yes, evil Cliffie. I seem to use those a lot.

Chibi Playing with Fire: Are you happy now? Naraku is dead.

Fire Spirit: She didn't revert back to her old self. I just couldn't do that to her.

The Silver Rose 1: Yes, poor Kagome. She goes through so much.

Flowerblossom: ^_^

Sukera: I can't have you dying a horrible, painful death, so I promise to update on Wednesday if I can.

Crystal Senshi: Ummm... I'm sorry?

Sukuri: Relax. You're forgiven. He knows that she enjoys obeying, but it's not a big deal. Just because you enjoy doing something doesn't mean that you have to do it. Kanna was a spy for Naraku. Since she has no scent, she absolutely perfect for spying.

Dragon Child2: Naraku is dead now and Kagome is safe. Does this make you happy? I sure hope so.

Miztikal-Dragon: I like Inu/Kag stories too, and my next one is going to be an Inu/Kag. I'm hoping to begin posting it by the end of this month. Note the "hoping" part.

Smiley-chan: Yeah, that did kinda suck.

123...er... 10?: First off, interesting name. And I'm gonna update on Wednesday... hopefully.

Sakura onto Hitomi: Don't feel too bad. I don't like yuri or yaoi, but I started reading this story, expecting a normal pairing, and halfway through it turned out to be yaoi. It was one of my favorite stories until I found that out. >.

Abby: I wrote my first Inuyasha story before I had even seen a single episode of Inuyasha. It was a stupid thing to do, but I did it. The only thing I can say is read fanfiction and do some research on the internet to get a good idea of how the characters act/sound/look like. That will help a bit. And that's about all you can do.

Anastassia: You like my story? Thanks.

Elfie: The epilogue is already written. It'll be done by the end of this week.

Ringhearty: Ouch. All you people are so abusive. *sighs sadly* Well, here's the next chappie for you.

Evilfire4321: Umm... he had a lemon, it just wasn't described.

Eris Goddess of Chaos: There's nothing wrong with reading and writing stories. I'm kinda obsessive about writing, though, so maybe I'm biased. 

Fuse: Ahh... I guess that since I have a clone of Sesshoumaru it can't hurt to let you clone her too. Here's the blood you wanted. *hands Fuse a vial* 

Raining Fire: I kinda like Fluffy when he's angry too. 

Magiabruxa: I will update soon. 

Galalorton: I added a **little** more drama? That's it? Just a little? Dang. I need to work harder. 

Ruu-chan: Yes, pretty please let me know when you update. I can't wait to read more. BTW, thanks for reviewing. 

Rei Akita: You're welcome, and thanks for reviewing. 

Invisible Rain: Naraku didn't get his head beat in this time either, but he is dead. Sesshoumaru did a wonderful job on killing the evil hanyou. :) 

Inuasyahchic515: Yep. Sesshoumaru was ticked. Yanou: The spell thingy won't work for him b/c Sesshoumaru freed her, so everything's okay. 

CurlsofSerentiy: Nice Sakabatou. Very impressive. I carry around a sword, but it's mostly for cutting holes in the dimensional fabric. 

Eruinichil: Was it a bad thing that I stopped where I did? 

Sam: What's wrong Sam-chan? Why are you depressed? You can always email me if you wanna talk for a bit. I'll try to get back to you. 

Smiley-chan: No, he didn't take it lightly. 


	25. Chapter 24

CotA: Okay, this is it... the final chapter. There will be no more in this story, and there will be no sequel. *sighs sadly* This chappie pretty much just wraps everything up. 

  


* * *

  


Sesshoumaru ended up helping both Kagome and Inuyasha to his car. He picked up Miroku, and then headed to the hospital while Inuyasha called the police, informing them of what had happened. The police were happy that Kagome had been found (even though they weren't pleased about Sesshoumaru going out to look for her himself), and they decided that the deaths of both Naraku and Goshinki had been in self defense.

At the hospital, the taiyoukai handed the miko over to the doctors, allowing them to check her for injuries. They found none, thanks to Kagome's healing ability; however, they kept her overnight, just in case.

Sesshoumaru stayed by her side the entire time, just as Inuyasha and Miroku camped out near the bodyguards.

Emotionally, Kagome recovered from the kidnapping incident almost as quickly as she had recovered from it physically. Her complete faith in Sesshoumaru had helped her greatly in that regard.

Of course, since his mansion was, once again, destroyed, they went back to the castle as soon as Kagome was released. They went back to their old routine, spending their afternoons and evenings together.

  


* * *

  


A few days later, once Varice and Sango were both out of the hospital and Kagome had fully recuperated from her ordeal, Sesshoumaru decided to propose to her.

"Kagome," he began as he set his plate to the side. They were having a picnic in his mother's gardens. "I have a question for you."

"Oh?" The miko looked at him curiously, suspecting nothing. "Ask away."

He pulled a small, blue velvet box out of his pocket. With an unsure smile on his face, he handed it to her. She opened it and gasped. "Will you marry me?" he asked. His answer was in the form of a tackle hug and a passionate kiss.

Kagome released the dog demon, laughing happily. "Yes, I will!" She slipped the ring on her finger as Sesshoumaru dragged her into his lap.

"There is one thing I have to tell you," he stated. "Shippou informed me on how to remove the bracelet."

"And?" she turned her head to look at him, excitement on her face.

"One of your old masters has to marry you out of love," Sesshoumaru said softly.

The raven-haired girl thought about that for a moment, her mind working a million miles an hour. "Does that mean that you... love me?" she asked. He nodded. "I love you too."

  


* * *

  


They held the wedding two months later. Sango served as the maid of honor, and her younger sister Rin was the flower girl. Sesshoumaru proclaimed Inuyasha as his best man, and Varice served as a bride's maid. Shippou received the title of head usher, and Kohaku, Sango's younger brother, served as the ring barer. They had been unable to reach Telonomaru in time, so he had been unable to make it. His daughter had said something about her parents taking a second honeymoon.

The wedding went off without any problems, and neither Kagome nor Sesshoumaru could think of a time when they'd been happier. Even Miroku got into the spirit and proposed to Sango. She accepted after finagling one promise out of him--he was no longer allowed to grope any girl other than her.

Varice and Inuyasha just enjoyed the wedding. Neither of them had marriage on their minds, although future dates were.

As Sesshoumaru and Kagome walked out of the church and to the car that would take them back to the castle for their honeymoon, the dog demon swept a laughing Kagome up in his arms. He carried her the rest of the way to the vehicle and set her in the passenger's seat.

With everyone cheering and blowing bubbles, he climbed into the driver's side of the car. While he pulled away from the church, Kagome turned to him.

"Sesshoumaru-chan?" she began in her sweet voice.

"Yes, Kagome?" His risked a glance at her as he drove down the road. _ 'Kami, is she ever beautiful.' _

The miko smiled softly. "What is Telonomaru going to do with all his extra time now?"

Sesshoumaru laughed. "I don't know, Kagome. But I can tell you what we're going to do."

She just blushed in response. "Don't tell me. I'd rather you surprise me," she teased gently.

"Okay then. I'll do that."

And that's just what Sesshoumaru did.

  


* * *

  


CotA: Okay, it's official. Bonds of Slavery is now over. I'm so sad.

Sigmund: Baka. I don't know what your problem is. It's just a story.

CotA: It was one of my favorites though.

Sess-chan: And don't call her a baka. *backhands Sigmund*

CotA: Thanks, Sess-chan. Well, I should be posting my new Inuyasha story, Rome Wasn't Built in a Day, relatively soon. I'll hopefully have it out before the new year. It's an Inu/Kag, so that should make most of you very happy. Well, I hope to see many of you wonderful readers and reviewers when I begin posting it. I'll send an email out to anyone who wants me to whenever I update.

Sess-chan: And the review responses are below.

CotA: Hey! That's my line.

Sess-chan: *shrugs*

  


* * *

  


Jade Garden: It'll be okay. I'll be posting my next IY story soon enough. And I'll check out your story.

Kore Yan: Ummm... I'm an American, but I love the Spanish language. :)

Mattielover: I'm happy that Naraku is dead too.

Ichigo: Thanks for reviewing.

LSR-7: Of course Sesshoumaru came to the rescue.

Purple Witchy Angel: Yes, all good things eventually come to an end, which really bites.

Rei Akita: Thank you for the compliment.

Kittymui: *laughs* Trust me. 700 reviews is nothing compared to what some other authors have. For example, check out moonsilver. Her awesome stories easily top mine.

Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: Well, I didn't want to make you wait, so here you go.

Hamaguri: I don't think that Sesshoumaru had the luxury of being able to torture Naraku. Kagome's life was in danger. And please don't cry, Hamaguri-chan. Things will be okay. I'm going to post that Inu/Kag fic as soon as I can. You know, the one you wanted so much. Of course, Sesshoumaru is still going to be in it, and he's still going to get a girl. I'm not telling who though. That's a secret.

Aznfangurl16: I can't update any more. This is it.

Foxlover: There's a little more fluff in this one, but I kept it short. It was just so depressing for me to end it that I had to end it quick.

Sukuri: I'm glad you approve. People told me that my story needed more action, so I did what they wanted. Of course, I had planned the whole Naraku-kidnaps-Kagome ordeal from the very beginning. Where Varice came from, I don't know. She was not planned.

April: I have the worst problems with keeping Fluffy in character. He'll hopefully be more in character for my next story.

Ringhearty: Sorry. No sequel.

Yanou: Yes, Naraku is dead, and this is the last chappie.

Kagome: Yes, I was waiting for your review. *hugs Kagome-chan* I love getting reviews from you. I hope you review my next IY story. And um... I think that writing is... It looks familiar. *thinks* I know who it is! Naraku! I could've sworn that Sesshoumaru killed him though. *shrugs* Oh well. He can just do it again. No big. Oh, and I have a present for you. *hands Kagome-chan a frying pan* This is for when you go on those wacking sprees. Enjoy!

Galalorton: Cute little review. And sorry about there being no sequel. I just can't think of one.

Luffy: There's no reason to feel like an idiot. I'm just happy that I can go over and beyond your expectations.

Smiley-chan: So soon? Look at how long the story is. It's about 60,000 words long! This story took forever to write.

Eruinichil: Sorry. I don't want the story to end, but I have nothing more to write in it. It's finished, and there's not much I can do about it b/c I'm out of ideas.

Lightdestiny: Nope. No more chappies.

Bijin-chan: Yes, it's ending next chappie. Pretty please don't cry. I'm going to be posting another IY story soon.

Sakura onto Hitomi: I reviewed two of your stories (even though I was too lazy to sign in). They were excellent. I really hope you continue to write in them.

A.K.S.: I'm sorry, but this is the end of the story. I don't want you to cry. I'll try to post my next story soon, just don't cry. *sighs* Rome Wasn't Built in a Day will be posted before January, okay? Does that make you feel any better? Sesshoumaru is in it.

Sukera: ouch. History project. I have a Spanish project, a business plan to write, a 6-8 page paper for my english class, and a huge powerpoint over pyramids to work on.

Ami: I would love to go to Mexico, but I can't tan. I've tried, but my skin likes to stay pale.

InvisibleRain: Yeah, it was kinda like the "I'm melting" thing. And I kinda had to make the chappie violent. I mean, c'mon. It was the good guys verses the bad guys. There's gonna be some fighting when the two sides clash. I'm happy I didn't break Kagome. It would have been annoying if I had. I'm not sure if I could deal with a slave-like Kagome again.

Miztikal-Dragon: Yes, it is sad, and I do apologize for ending this. I only started this story back in August, and it's already finished.

Curls of Serenity: Um... Naraku is dead. Sesshoumaru killed him.

Trekkie-54: Yes, it *has* to end.

Nankinmai: Do you want me to email you so something when I post my new fic? 'Cause if you do, then I'll gladly do it. I already have a list.

Evilfire4321: Yep. Naraku is so dead.

Jupiter's Light: I'm glad you think so highly of my story.

Sam: I know what it feels like to have a bad day. I had one yesterday. Well, I'm glad that you're feeling better now. *hugs Sam-chan* And here's the conclusion you wanted.

Eris Goddess of Chaos: I stopped because that was where the chappie ended.

Fire Spirit: Nope. You spelled poor Fluffy's name wrong. It's Sesshoumaru or Sesshou-Maru. I've seen it both ways, and I believe that both are correct.

Xonnie: Ummm... no, I'm not going to explain it in the story. Naraku killed Kagome's family right before her eyes and enslaved her. 


End file.
